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Can MPs, MLAs Take Bribes For Votes? What Law Says, How Supreme Court Sees It

Snehashish RoyMarch 4, 20240

On March 4, 2024, a seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court overruled the majority judgment in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) bribery case, which had held that members of the legislature enjoy immunity from being charged with bribery in relation to the way they vote or speak in the House. The bench was led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and the details of the judgment are still awaited. To understand this landmark case, it is essential to delve into Article 194(2) and Article 105(2) of the Constitution, which provide identical protections to members of Parliament and the Legislature of a State. These articles state that no member of the legislature shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in ...

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India At Key Juncture Of World Trade: Israel Suggests Gujarat Alternative To Red Sea Tensions; What Is It?

Snehashish RoyFebruary 22, 20240

In recent weeks, Yemen's Houthi rebels have intensified their attacks on ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea as a show of solidarity with Gaza. This has put a halt on global trade, as around 12% of it passes through the Red Sea, which links the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. Given the current situation, ships are being forced to take a longer route, traveling all the way to the south of Africa and crossing the Cape of Good Hope, which increases both costs and time taken. Due to this disruption in trade, seafarers now have the right to refuse to sail on ships passing through the Red Sea, as per a new industry agreement signed last week. To bypass the Red Sea and continue trading, Israel has been exploring alternative routes. On February 13, Transpor...

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Putin’s Biggest Rival Dies: Lawyer To Anti-Corruption Activist, Chronology Of Navalny’s Dire Fate

Snehashish RoyFebruary 17, 20240

A possible Kremlin plot to kill Alexei Navalny, a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin and Russia’s leading opposition figure, has sparked widespread rumours of a political murder. A lawyer who became an anti-corruption activist in the late 2000s, Navalny, 47, believed that Putin’s regime was based on cronyism and graft. He was one of the first to be detained during the anti-Putin protests of 2011-12. After his release, he kept challenging Putin, and in 2013, he ran for mayor of Moscow. Despite the lack of media attention and the competition from Putin’s ally Sergey Sobyanin, he won over 27 per cent of the vote but was later banned from running for office. Navalny remained a popular figure in Russia and a respected voice in the West. In 2013, he started his YouTube channel wher...

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ElectionsFoodIndiaLawPolitics

Bharat Bandh Today: What Are Farmers Demanding, That Didn’t Resolve In 2020 Protest?

Snehashish RoyFebruary 16, 20240

Farmers across India are once again protesting for guaranteed crop prices, demanding a host of unmet demands. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), which is part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), has called for a Gramin Bharat Bandh on Friday, February 16. Farmers have been asked to suspend work for a day to press the government for demands, and traders and transporters have also been encouraged to join the strike. The farmers' protests began in 2020 when they rode on tractors and trucks from Haryana and Punjab to demand the repeal of three contentious agricultural laws that they believed would hurt their incomes. The protests drew international support and triggered nationwide demonstrations. In 2021, the Modi government repealed these laws, which was widely seen as a victory for the farme...

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ArticleElectionsInternationalLatest NewsPolitics

Pakistan Election: What Is Military’s Role In Country’s Politics? A Look At Its History

Snehashish RoyFebruary 10, 20240

Pakistan held national elections on February 8, with many predicting that Nawaz Sharif will be re-elected as Prime Minister. However, his predicted victory is not necessarily due to overwhelming popular support for his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). In fact, the most popular party in Pakistan at the moment is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Imran Khan, who is currently in jail and not able to run in the election. Like Imran, Nawaz has faced allegations of corruption in the past and resigned from the Prime Minister's post in 2017 before leaving the country. Despite this, Nawaz is predicted to win thanks to the influence of the Pakistani military, which has been a major player in the country's politics since its formation in 1947. The military has...

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ArticleFinanceIndiaPolitics

Kerala Govt Protests Against Centre: What’s The Tussle Over Fund Distribution To States? What The Law Says

Snehashish RoyFebruary 8, 20240

The Kerala government, led by the CPI(M), is staging a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. This comes after the Karnataka government held a similar protest over the distribution of central funds. Kerala alleges that the fiscal policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre are financially stifling the state. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues, LDF MPs and legislators are likely to participate in the protest. Here is a look at the issues. Kerala claims that COVID-19 has made a curtailment of Rs 57,400 crore in the State Receipts in the current fiscal, and it is not getting its due share from the tax collected by the Centre. According to an RBI report on state finances, the Centre is to provide Rs 35 for every Rs 65 collected by the states on average. ...

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ArticleFeaturesIndiaPolitics

Country’s First UCC Bill Tabled: To Live-In Or Not To Live-In? Understanding Its Constitutional Challenge

Snehashish RoyFebruary 7, 20240

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill was introduced in the Uttarakhand Assembly on Tuesday, which has raised concerns about privacy and personal liberty. The Bill looks to equate heterosexual live-in relationships to the status of marriage. The proposed Code defines live-in relationships as a “relationship between a man and a woman” who “cohabit in a shared household through a relationship like marriage, provided that such relations are not prohibited.” The Bill requires partners to notify the “Registrar” within a month of entering into a live-in relationship or terminating one. A jail term of up to three months is prescribed for not registering a live-in relationship. In case of failing to produce a certificate of live-in relationship, a term of six months is prescribed on conviction....

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Lal Krishna Advani’s Road To Bharat Ratna: From Gandhian Socialism To Rath Yatra; A Look Back

Snehashish RoyFebruary 5, 20240

On February 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that L K Advani, a veteran BJP leader, would be conferred with the Bharat Ratna, which is India’s highest civilian honour. PM Modi shared the news on his social media account and praised Advani for his monumental contribution to the development of India. Advani played a crucial role in transforming the Bharatiya Janata Party into a national political force in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The BJP emerged in 1980 after the Janata Party dissolved. In its first national conference, party president Atal Bihari Vajpayee underscored that the BJP was not a new incarnation of Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Instead, Vajpayee claimed the legacy of Jayprakash Narayan and declared Gandhian Socialism to be the party’s ...

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Nitish Kumar’s Split From INDIA Bloc Dampens Opposition’s Caste Pitch, Revamps ‘Hindutva’ Tone

Snehashish RoyJanuary 29, 20240

Nitish Kumar's return to the NDA just before the Lok Sabha elections has significant implications for the BJP. As the mastermind behind Bihar's caste survey, he provided the blueprint for the Opposition's caste census call and social justice pitch against the BJP in 2024. Nitish also chaired the first meeting of the Opposition (INDIA) bloc in Patna in June 2023. This move not only gives the NDA a possible bump in Bihar's tally but also challenges the Opposition's strategy of countering Hindutva with social justice. This strategy has been the political commonsense of the Opposition since the early 1990s when an alliance of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati prevented the BJP from coming to power in 1993 in UP. Nitish's crossing comes soon after Karpoori Thakur was awarded the Bharat Ratna,...

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Tracking Bihar’s Political Pulse: Nitish Kumar Set To Shun RJD, Re-Join Old Ally BJP

Snehashish RoyJanuary 26, 20240

As the BJP signals its intention to join forces with the Janata Dal (United) once again, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to keep his position in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government with two BJP leaders as his deputies, following the 2020 Assembly elections outcome. The BJP may choose a leader from an Extremely Backward Class (EBC) as one of the Deputy CMs, possibly former Deputy CM Renu Devi who belongs to the Nonia community. Renu Devi made history in 2020 as Bihar’s first woman Deputy CM, but she lost her post in August 2022 when Nitish switched sides to Mahagathbandhan and toppled the NDA government. The party insiders say there is no consensus yet on the second Deputy CM. Some of the contenders are former Deputy CM and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi, cu...

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ArticleIndiaPolitics

On 75th Year Of Republic Day, Let’s Take A Look Back At Its First: The Journey So Far

Snehashish RoyJanuary 26, 20240

The Republic of India came into existence on January 26, 1950. It was the culmination of more than a hundred years of nationalist struggle, and more than two years after Independence from British rule. India was now a sovereign, democratic republic, free to shape its destiny. As we celebrate the 75th Republic Day, we look back at the cold January morning in 1950 when India became a republic. From dominion to republic India’s Independence on August 15, 1947, did not mean a complete break from the British Empire. For over two years, India remained a British dominion, governed by the Government of India Act of 1935, and still loyal to the Crown. This changed on January 26, 1950. On that day, the Constitution of India, which had been drafted by the Constituent Assembly over nearly ...

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Turkey Clears Major Roadblock For Sweden’s NATO Bid: Why Was It Opposed Earlier?

Snehashish RoyJanuary 25, 20240

After Turkey’s parliament endorsed its membership on Tuesday (January 23), Sweden moved closer to joining NATO. All the current members have to agree for a new country to become part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey and Hungary had been blocking Sweden’s entry for nearly two years. Why does Sweden want to join NATO? Sweden has maintained its neutrality for two hundred years, avoiding involvement in the two World Wars and the Cold War. In recent times, it became a member of the European Union and cooperated with NATO, but it did not show any interest in joining the military alliance that is opposed by its powerful neighbour, Russia. However, this neutrality was compromised after Russia invaded Ukraine. As public opinion shifted in favour of joining NAT...

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