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Concept Library · GS 2

Polity & Governance

Constitutional provisions, institutions and processes the news keeps testing. 558 concepts, each with its definition, key details and a timeline of every news story that touched it.

73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments

In the news 3x

The 73rd Amendment (Panchayati Raj) and 74th Amendment (Municipalities) of 1992 transferred 18 and 12 functions respectively to local self-governments...

Aadhaar

In the news 3x

The Aadhaar system, administered by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), is governed by the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and...

Active vs. Passive Euthanasia

In the news 3x

The distinction between active and passive euthanasia carries significant legal and ethical weight. Active euthanasia involves a deliberate act —...

Advance Directives (Living Wills)

In the news 3x

An advance directive (or living will) is a written document in which a person specifies in advance what medical treatment they consent to or refuse in the...

Ammonium Nitrate

In the news 3x

Ammonium nitrate is a critical chemical compound with dual-use applications: as a nitrogen-based fertiliser in agriculture and as a component in industrial...

Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)

In the news 3x

Launched in December 2000 by the Department of Food and Public Distribution, AAY was designed to reach the 'poorest of the poor' — households identified as...

Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)

In the news 3x

ANRF is the apex body for strategic direction of research, innovation, and entrepreneurship across scientific and social science disciplines in India. It...

Article 102(2) and the Rajya Sabha Chairman as Adjudicator

In the news 3x

Article 102(2) of the Constitution provides that a person shall be disqualified for being a member of either House of Parliament if they are so disqualified...

Article 122

In the news 3x

Article 122(1) provides that the validity of any proceedings in Parliament cannot be called into question on the ground of any alleged irregularity of...

Article 124

In the news 3x

Article 124(1) of the Constitution provides that there shall be a Supreme Court of India consisting of a Chief Justice of India and such number of other...

Article 124 and the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956

In the news 3x

Article 124(1) of the Constitution provides that the Supreme Court shall consist of a Chief Justice of India and 'such other judges as Parliament may by law...

Article 124(1) and the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956

In the news 3x

Article 124(1) of the Constitution provides for a Supreme Court consisting of the Chief Justice of India and, 'until Parliament by law prescribes a larger...

Article 14

In the news 3x

Article 14 of the Constitution guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws. The Supreme Court has progressively moved from formal...

Article 163

In the news 3x

Article 163 of the Constitution establishes that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head to 'aid and advise the Governor...

Article 19(1)(a) and Reasonable Restrictions Under Article 19(2)

In the news 3x

Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution guarantees the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression to all citizens. Article 19(2) permits the State...

Article 21 and the Right to Die with Dignity

In the news 3x

Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees the right to life and personal liberty. The Supreme Court has progressively expanded its ambit. In P. Rathinam v....

Article 239A

In the news 3x

Article 239A of the Constitution was inserted by the 14th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1962. It empowers Parliament to create a Legislative Assembly and...

Article 25 and the Right to Freedom of Religion

In the news 3x

Articles 25–28 of the Indian Constitution collectively guarantee freedom of religion as a fundamental right. Article 25 gives 'all persons equally entitled...

Article 262

In the news 3x

Article 262 of the Indian Constitution grants Parliament the power to provide for the adjudication of any dispute relating to the use, distribution, or...

Article 30

In the news 3x

Article 30(1) grants all religious and linguistic minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. Article 30(2)...

Article 342

In the news 3x

Article 342 of the Constitution governs the specification of Scheduled Tribes and their modification. It establishes a two-step process: initial...

Article 44 of the Constitution

In the news 3x

Article 44 of the Constitution of India, under Part IV (Directive Principles of State Policy), directs the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code...

Article 82 and the Delimitation Freeze

In the news 3x

Article 82 of the Constitution mandates that after every census, Parliament must by law provide for the readjustment of the allocation of seats in the House...

Article 82 and the Delimitation Mechanism

In the news 3x

Article 82 of the Constitution requires Parliament to enact a Delimitation Act after every Census, under which the allocation of Lok Sabha seats among the...

Article 89

In the news 3x

The special parliamentary session saw procedural debates about the sequencing and urgency of the bills. The Rajya Sabha's Deputy Chairperson is elected...

Article IX

In the news 3x

Article IX of the IWT establishes a graded, multi-tier dispute resolution structure. 'Questions' (routine implementation matters) go to the Permanent Indus...

Articles 25–28

In the news 3x

Articles 25 to 28 of the Constitution guarantee freedom of religion as a fundamental right under Part III. Article 25(1) gives every person — not just...

Articles 82 and 170

In the news 3x

Article 82 of the Constitution mandates that the allocation of seats in the House of the People (Lok Sabha) and the division of each state into territorial...

Arunachal Pradesh

In the news 3x

Arunachal Pradesh became a full-fledged state of India on February 20, 1987 (Statehood Day), having been previously a Union Territory (as the North-East...

Aspirational Districts Programme

In the news 3x

The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) was launched by the Prime Minister in January 2018, targeting 112 of India's most underdeveloped districts across...

Australia's Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024

In the news 3x

Passed by the Australian Parliament on 29 November 2024, this law is the world's first legislated minimum age restriction on social media use at a national...

Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme

In the news 3x

The Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme is a World Customs Organization (WCO)-endorsed trade facilitation initiative, implemented in India by CBIC...

Bail Jurisprudence

In the news 3x

The power to impose bail conditions derives from the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), now largely subsumed in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita...

Banking Regulation Act, 1949

In the news 3x

The Banking Regulation Act, 1949 is the primary legislation governing the functioning, regulation, and supervision of commercial and payments banks in...

Basic Structure Doctrine and Federalism

In the news 3x

The Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Kesavananda Bharati (1973) held that Parliament's power to amend the Constitution under Article 368 cannot be used to...

BharatNet

In the news 3x

BharatNet (formerly National Optical Fibre Network, NOFN) is one of India's flagship digital infrastructure programmes, aimed at providing broadband...

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023

In the news 3x

The BNSS, 2023, enacted as part of three simultaneous criminal law reforms, replaced the 163-year-old Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC). The other two...

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023

In the news 3x

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and came into force from July 1, 2024. It is one of three landmark criminal law...

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Quality Control Orders

In the news 3x

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), established under the BIS Act, 2016, is India's national standards body operating under the Ministry of Consumer...

CBI Director Appointment

In the news 3x

The Central Bureau of Investigation is India's premier investigation agency, established under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946. The...

CCTNS

In the news 3x

The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems project was initiated in 2009 by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as a Mission Mode Project under the...

CEC and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023

In the news 3x

Parliament enacted this law in December 2023, replacing the earlier Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of...

CERT-In

In the news 3x

CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) is the national nodal agency for responding to cybersecurity incidents. It was established under Section...

Care Economy

In the news 3x

The 'care economy' encompasses all paid and unpaid activities involved in caring for people — childcare, elder care, cooking, cleaning, healthcare...

Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT)

In the news 3x

Inter-state river water disputes in India are adjudicated by tribunals constituted under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The Cauvery Water...

Central Information Commission

In the news 3x

The Central Information Commission (CIC) is a statutory body established under Section 12 of the Right to Information Act, 2005. It serves as the highest...

Central Information Commission (CIC)

In the news 3x

The Central Information Commission (CIC), established under Section 12 of the RTI Act, is the apex appellate body for RTI disputes at the Central Government...

Central Vista Redevelopment Project

In the news 3x

The Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum is part of the larger Central Vista Redevelopment Project, which involves the redesign and reconstruction of India's central...

Centre-State Legislative Relations

In the news 3x

The constitutional division of legislative powers is the primary obstacle to state-level internet regulation.

Centre-State Relations in Internal Security

In the news 3x

Under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, 'Public order' and 'Police' are State subjects (List II), making the state government primarily responsible...

Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023

In the news 3x

Parliament enacted this law in December 2023, replacing the earlier framework under which the appointment of the CEC was effectively at the President's...

Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023

In the news 3x

The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 replaced the Election...

Civil Society and Foreign Funding

In the news 3x

India has one of the most stringent foreign funding regulatory frameworks in the world for civil society. The FCRA framework reflects a continuing tension...

Committee of Privileges

In the news 3x

The Committee of Privileges is a parliamentary committee constituted by the Speaker under Rule 222 of the Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure. It examines cases...

Comparative Context

In the news 3x

Meta's automatic compliance architecture is applied selectively — only in countries where the legal and regulatory environment either mandates it or where...

Comparison with Other Strategic Tunnels in the Himalayas

In the news 3x

India has developed a network of strategic tunnels in the Western Himalayas over the past decade, each addressing a specific seasonal or strategic chokepoint:

Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and Article 341

In the news 3x

Article 341 of the Constitution empowers the President to specify, in consultation with the Governor, which castes, races, or tribes, or parts thereof...

Constitutional Morality

In the news 3x

The concept of 'constitutional morality' was first articulated in Indian judicial discourse by the Supreme Court in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India...

Constitutional Position of the Governor

In the news 3x

The Governor is the constitutional head of a state, appointed by the President under Article 155 and holding office during the President's pleasure under...

Cooperative Federalism and Centre-State Relations

In the news 3x

India's Constitution establishes a quasi-federal structure — a strong Centre with federal features — rather than a classical federation. The constitutional...

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These concepts move with the news. The daily brief explains each one in the story where it appears.
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