PPT of Indian Polity Lecture 01.pptx UPSC
- 1. Neelam Bhatia INDIAN POLITY AND CONSTITUTION
- 2. Polity - What? Indian Polity and Governance - ●Basics of Political System ●Constitutional Framework and Key features ●Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) ●Public Policy ●Rights, Issues, etc. UPSCprep.com
- 3. Importance of Polity and Constitution ● Weightage - 15 to 20% ● Consolidated Source ● Helps you become a better citizen ● Understanding our nation and its political system ● Makes you well prepared for working as a Civil Servant UPSCprep.com
- 4. Sources ● NCERT - Class XI ○ Indian Constitution at Work (Very Important) ○ Political Theory ● Indian Polity by M Laxmikanth ● Bare Act ● Government Websites ● Current Affairs Linkage UPSCprep.com
- 5. Mastering Polity ● Understanding the basics ● Story of Indian Constitution and Political Development - Linkage to Modern Indian History ● Role of Different Organs of Governance and their importance ○ Division of Powers, Importance of different bodies in polity, Threats to them, Way ahead ● Linkage to day-to-day life. Eg. Fundamental Rights ● Current affairs linkage UPSCprep.com
- 6. Prelims 2024 • Static • Current Affairs • Interlinkage • 18/20 Questions
- 7. PYQ Analysis Topic 2023 2022 202 1 2020 2019 2018 Constitutional Development 2 1 1 Salient Features of Indian Constitution 2 1 2 1 1 Preamble 1 1 The Union and Its Territories 1 Citizenship 1 Fundamental Right and Fundamental Duties 2 3 2 2 2 DPSPs 1 3 Constitutional Amendments 1 1 2 Basic Structure Doctrine Union Executive and Parliament 3 5 2 3 1 3 Judiciary 3 3 1 3 1 State Executive and Legislature 1 2 2 Center-State and Inter state Relations 1 Elections- EC, Political Parties, Pressure Groups 1 Panchayati Raj Institutions Muncipalities Tribal Areas (Schedule 5,6) 1 1 2 UPSCprep.com
- 8. 2024 • Delimitation Commission • Eight Schedule • Political Parties • Parts of the Constitution • Seventh Schedule • Right to Privacy • Ethics Committee • Constituent Assembly • Article 368 • Money Bill • North–Eastern Council • Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam • Writs
- 9. 2024 • Governor • Union Budget • Speaker of Lok Sabha • Lapsing of Bills • Prorogation / Dissolution
- 10. 2023 ● Due Process of Law ● Prisons and Prisons Act, 1894 ● Definition of Constitution ● Amendments (1st Amendment, 42nd Amendment) ● Constitutional Bodies ● President of India ● Finance Bill and Money Bill ● Scheduled Areas ● Article 16(4) and Article 335 ● Home Guards and Home Guards Act ● Misc. Acts (Arms Act, Official Secrets Act, Evidence Act, Prevention of Terrorism Act) ● Constitution Day ● Article 22 ● Election to the President of India
- 11. 2022 ● Constitutional Developments ● Salient features of Constitution ○ 5th Schedule ● Preamble ● Union and Its Territories ● Citizenship ● FR and Fundamental duties ● DPSPs ● Union Executive and Parliament ○ Constitutional Amendment Bill, Exclusive powers of Lok Sabha, Anti- defection, Attorney General, Deputy Speaker, Ministry classification ● Judiciary ○ Contempt of court, Govt. law officers, Bar Council, Writs ● Miscellaneous UPSCprep.com
- 12. 2021 ● Constitutional Developments ○ Constitutional status of India ● Salient features of Constitution ○ Meaning of constitutional government, safeguard of liberty - through separation of powers, Comparison of Indian constitution with world constitutions. ● Preamble ● Union and Its Territories ○ What is state?, Federalism ● Citizenship ● FR and Fundamental duties ○ Art 14, Right to property, Right to Privacy ● DPSPs ○ Concentration of Wealth (Art. 39b, 39c) ● Union Executive and Parliament ○ Lok Sabha Elections ● Judiciary ○ HC, Judicial Custody, Parole ● Tribal Areas (Schedule 5 and 6) ○ MoTA ● Miscellaneous ○ Right to the City UPSCprep.com
- 13. 2020 ● Constitutional Developments ● Salient features of Constitution ○ Constitutional Government ● Preamble ● Union and Its Territories ● Citizenship ● FR and Fundamental duties ○ Right to Equality, UN declaration of Human Rights ● DPSPs ○ Art 50 (separation of executive and Judiciary), Idea of welfare state, Art 37, ● Union Executive and Parliament ○ Sessions of Parliament, Powers of LS and RS, Parliamentary System of Government ● Judiciary ○ NALSA ● Tribal Areas (Schedule 5 and 6) ● Elections ○ RPA, 1951 ● Miscellaneous ○ Aadhar, Bureaucracy UPSCprep.com
- 14. What to do and What to Avoid What to do? ● Complete study with logical understanding and storyline ● Periodic revision ● Regular tests ● PYQs Analysis ● Observational Attitude ● Conceptual Clarity What To Avoid? ● Multiple resources ● Only rote learning ● Last minute study UPSCprep.com
- 15. Course Structure ● Session 1: Introduction, Basic Concepts and Terminology ● Session 2a: Constitution: Genesis and its Important Features ○ The Genesis ○ Making of The Constitution ○ Important Features ● Session 2b: ○ Preamble ○ India i.e., Bharat: Union and Its Territory UPSCprep.com
- 16. Course Structure ● Session 3a: Directives, Rights, Fundamental Rights ○ Against Whom: State ○ What Is State ○ Exceptions To FR ○ Remedies Available Against Violation of FR ○ Writs ● Session 3b: Duties, Amendments and What Forms the Basic Structure ○ Other Rights ○ Directive Principles Of State Policy: Principles And Premise ○ DPSP Vis-À-Vis FR ○ Fundamental Duties: Features And Importance ○ Amendment to Constitution ○ Basic Structure of The Constitution UPSCprep.com
- 17. Course Structure ● Session 4: Basics of Governance ○ Indian Context: Parliamentary form of Govt. ○ President And Governor In The Scheme of Constitution ○ Prime Minister (and His Council of Ministers) and The Chief Minister (And His Council Of Ministers) In The Scheme of Constitution ○ Unique Features: Vice President and Legislative Council UPSCprep.com
- 18. Course Structure ● Session 5a: Temple of Democracy ○ All about Parliament ● Session 5b: State Legislature and 3-tier government ○ State Legislature ○ Three Tier Government ● Session 6: Federal Relations ○ Basic concepts of Federal System ○ Centre-State Relations; ○ Inter State Relations ○ Emergency Provisions ○ Special Status States ○ Scheduled Areas UPSCprep.com
- 19. Course Structure ● Session 7: Constitutional and Non-Constitutional Bodies ○ Constitutional Bodies ■ Courts: Jurisdiction And Adjudication; Apex Court; High Court; Tribunals; Subordinate Courts ■ Judicial Concepts ■ Union Public Service Commission And State ■ Public Service Commissions ■ Finance Commission ■ National Commissions For SC, ST, SEBC ■ CAG ○ Non-Constitutional Bodies ■ NITI Aayog, CBI, NIA, NDMA, Etc. UPSCprep.com
- 20. Course Structure ● Session 8: All About Elections and Misc. topics ○ Laws Governing Elections ○ Election Regulating Mechanism: Election Commission ○ Election Disputes ○ Politics around Elections ○ Media and Elections ○ List of important cases and judgments ○ Misc. PYQs UPSCprep.com
- 21. Session 1: Basic Concepts and Terminology
- 22. What this session entails? ● Absolute basics of Polity. ● Will give you conceptual clarity and better understand the various terms. ● Features terms and concepts asked repeatedly in PYQs.
- 23. Constitution ● Constitution of a country is a set of rules that are acceptable by all people living together in the country. ● Functions of Constitution - ○ To provide a set of basic rules that allow for minimal coordination amongst members of a society. ○ To specify who has the power to make decisions in a society. ○ To set some limits on what a government can impose on its citizens. ○ To enable the government to fulfil the aspirations of a society and create conditions for a just society. ○ A constitution expresses the fundamental identity of a people. ○ The constitution of a democratic country lays down some basic rules about elections. The details are usually left to be worked out by laws passed by the legislatures.
- 24. Constitutional Government/Constitutionalism ● Means limited government i.e. government conducted according to rules and principles, which are binding on all political actors. ● It helps to constrain the unfettered exercise of power by separating or dividing it. ● Core element of a constitutional government is the existence of a Rule of Law or set of basic laws that bind both public office holders and all members of a society within a given territory. ● Terms like constitutionalism, constitutionally limited government are also used but the essence remains the same i.e. control of power by its distribution among several state organs or offices in such a way that they are each subjected to reciprocal controls.
- 25. Q. Constitutional government means – (Asked in UPSC Prelims 2021) (a) a representative government of a nation with a federal structure (b) a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers (c) a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers (d) a government limited by the terms of the Constitution
- 26. Q. A constitutional government by definition is a – (Asked in UPSC Prelims 2020) (a) government by legislature (b) popular government (c) multi-party government (d) limited government
- 27. Consider the following statements: A Constitutional Government is one which 1. Places effective restrictions on individual liberty in the interest of State Authority 2. Places effective restrictions on the Authority of the State in the interest of individual liberty Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (Asked in UPSC Prelims 2014) (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
- 28. ● The Rule of Law is a fundamental principle of modern societies that refers to the idea that all individuals and institutions are subject to the same set of laws and regulations. ● The basic features of Rule of Law as per Dicey: a. Law does not recognize any special rights for any individual or group of individuals. b. Law does not recognize any distinction between one individual and the other on the basis of religion, race, sex, etc. c. None is punished without proper trial. d. All will be tried by the same court under the same law. e. Rule of Law is to safeguard and advance the political and civil rights of the individual in a free society. Rule of Law
- 29. Which of the following are regarded as the main features of the "Rule of Law" ? (Prelims 2018) 1. Limitation of powers 2. Equality before law 3. People's responsibility to the Government 4. Liberty and civil rights Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 4 only (c) 1, 2 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
- 30. Freedom ● Freedom is said to exist when external constraints on the individual are absent. ● However, absence of constraints is only one dimension of freedom. ● Freedom is also about expanding the ability of people to freely express themselves and develop their potential. ● Freedom in this sense is the condition in which people can develop their creativity and capabilities. ● A free society would be one which enables all its members to develop their potential with the minimum of social constraints.
- 31. Freedom (Cont.) ● Freedom also has a positive dimension. ● To be free a society must widen the area in which individuals, groups, communities or nations, will be able to charter their own destiny and be what they wish to be. ● Freedom, in this sense, allows the full development of the individual’s creativity, sensibilities and capabilities: be it in sports, science, art, music or exploration. ● Restrictions on the freedom of individuals may come from domination and external controls. ● But constraints on freedom can also result from social inequality of the kind implicit in the caste system, or which result from extreme economic inequality in a society
- 32. Swaraj ● The term Swaraj incorporates within it two words — Swa (Self) and Raj (Rule). ● It can be understood to mean both the rule of the self and rule over self. ● Swaraj, in the context of the freedom struggle in India referred to freedom as a constitutional and political demand, and as a value at the social-collective level. ● It is the understanding of Swaraj as Rule over the Self that was highlighted by Mahatma Gandhi in his work Hind Swaraj. ● Swaraj is not just freedom but liberation in redeeming one’s self-respect, self- responsibility, and capacities for self-realisation from institutions of dehumanisation. Understanding the real ‘Self ’, and its relation to communities and society, is critical to the project of attaining Swaraj.
- 33. Which of the following factors constitutes the best safeguard of liberty in a liberal democracy? (Asked in UPSC Prelims 2021) (a) A committed judiciary (b) Centralization of powers (c) Elected government (d) Separation of powers
- 34. In the context of polity, which one of the following would you accept as the most appropriate definition of liberty? (Asked in UPSC Prelims 2019) (a) Protection against the tyranny of political rulers (b) Absence of restraint (c) Opportunity to do whatever one likes (d) Opportunity to develop oneself fully
- 35. Which one of the following reflects the nicest, appropriate relationship between law and liberty? (Asked in UPSC Prelims 2018) (a) if there are more laws, there is less liberty. (b) If there are no laws, there is no liberty. (c) If there is liberty, laws have to be made by the people. (d) If laws are changed too often, liberty is in danger.
- 36. Which one of the following objectives is not embodied in the Preamble to the Constitution of India? (Asked in UPSC Prelims 2017) (a) Liberty of thought (b) Economic liberty (c) Liberty of expression (d) Liberty of belief
- 37. Harm Principle ● John Stuart Mill in his essay “On Liberty'' talks about the “Harm Principle”. ● The sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. ● He distinguishes between ‘self-regarding’ actions, i.e.. , those actions that have consequences only for the individual actor and nobody else(state has no business to interfere), and ‘other regarding’ actions, i.e.. , those actions that also have consequences for others(external interference). ● The harm caused must be serious. For minor harm, Mill recommends only social disapproval and not the force of law. ● People should be ready to tolerate different ways of life, different points of view, and different interests, so long as they do not cause harm to others.
- 38. Liberalism ● As a political ideology, liberalism has been identified with tolerance as a value. ● What is more distinctive about modern liberalism is its focus on the individual. ● For liberals entities like family, society, community have no value in themselves, but only if these are valued by individuals. ● Liberals tend to give priority to individual liberty over values like equality. ● They also tend to be suspicious of political authority. ● Historically, liberalism favoured free market and minimal role to the state. However, present day liberalism acknowledges a role for welfare state and accepts the need for measures to reduce both social and economic inequalities.