TOPIC: GS 2 Separation of Powers between various organs Dispute Redressal Mechanisms and Institutions.
Anti-defection
What is the news?
- The 52nd Amendment Act of 1985 provided for the disqualification of the members of Parliament and the state legislatures on the ground of defection from one political party to another.
- For this purpose, it made changes in four Articles 1 of the Constitution and added a new Schedule the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution.
- This act is often referred to as the ‘anti defection law’.
- Later, the 91st Amendment Act of 2003 made one change in the provisions of the Tenth Schedule.
- It omitted an exception provision i.e., disqualification on ground of defection not to apply in case of split.
Advantages
The following can be cited as the advantages of the anti-defection law:
- It provides for greater stability in the body politic by checking the propensity of legislators to change parties.
- It facilitates democratic realignment of parties in the legislature by way of merger of parties.
- It reduces corruption at the political level as well as non-developmental expenditure incurred on irregular elections.
- It gives, for the first time, a clear-cut constitutional recognition to the existence of political parties.
Criticism
Though the anti-defection law been hailed as a bold step towards cleansing our political life and started as new epoch in the political life of the country
It has revealed may lacunae in its operation and failed to prevent defections.
It came to be criticized on the following grounds:
- It does not make a differentiation between dissent and defection.
- It curbs the legislator’s right to dissent and freedom of conscience.
- It clearly puts party bossism on a pedestral and sanctions tyranny of the party in the name of the party discipline.
- Its distinction between individual defection and group defection is
- In other words it banned only retail defections and legalised wholesale defections
- It does not provide for the expulsion of a legislator from his party for his activities outside the legislature.
- Its discrimination between an independent member and a nominated member is illogical. If the former joins a party, he is disqualified while the latter is allowed to do the same.
- Its vesting of decision-making authority in the presiding officer is criticized on two grounds.
- Firstly : He may not exercise this authority in an impartial and objective manner due to political exigencies.
- Secondly: He lacks the legal knowledge and experience to adjudicate upon the cases.
- In fact, two Speakers of the Lok Sabha (Rabi Ray—1991 and Shivraj Patil —1993) have themselves expressed doubts on their suitability to adjudicate upon the cases related to defections
Mains question
The role of individual Members of Parliament(MP) has diminished over the years and as a result healthy constructive debates on policy issues are not usually witnessed. How far can this be attributed to the anti-defection law, which was legislated, but with a different intention? (2013 Mains – GS2)
Sources : https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-absurdity-of-the-anti-defection-law/article33935666.ece
PRELIMS PUNCHERS
- Liquidity adjustment facility (LAF)
It is a tool used in monetary policy, primarily by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that allows banks to borrow money through repurchase agreements (repos) or to make loans to the RBI through reverse repo agreements. This arrangement is effective in managing liquidity pressures and assuring basic stability in the financial markets. The RBI introduced the LAF as a result of the Narasimham Committee on Banking Sector Reforms (1998).
Liquidity adjustment facilities are used to aid banks in resolving any short-term cash shortages during periods of economic instability or from any other form of stress caused by forces beyond their control. Various banks use eligible securities as collateral through a repo agreement and use the funds to alleviate their short-term requirements, thus remaining stable.
- NIEPID
National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities formerly National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped established in the year 1984 at Secunderabad.
It is an Autonomous Body under the administrative control of Deparment of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. NIEPID is dedicated to provide quality services to Persons with Intellectual Disabilities Divyangjan in the National interest. The Institute conducts International and National level Conference/Seminars/Workshops on Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Divyangjan) in partnership with leading voluntary organizations, parent associations. Special employees National meet at NIEPID, National meet of parent organizations and National level Workshops.
Sources : https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1725791
- PRABANDH
The Ministry of Education launched an online module to compile data on out-of-school children. Through this, they will facilitate age appropriate admissions of children in the age group of 6-14 years and those belonging to socially and economically disadvantaged groups. PRABANDH (PRoject Appraisal, Budgeting, Achievements and Data Handling System) is a step towards leveraging technology to increase efficiency and manage the implementation of a centrally sponsored integrated scheme for schooling- Samagra Shiksha.
To track down such children, the ministry has developed an online module for compiling the data of out-of-school children identified by each state/UT and their mapping with special training centres (STC) on the PRABANDH portal. The child-wise information of the identified out of school children and STCs will be uploaded at block level under the supervision of block source coordinator of the certain block research centre (BRC).
- National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)
It is in Bangalore, Karnataka, is a research centre specialising in biological research. It is a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) under the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India. The mandate of NCBS is basic and interdisciplinary research in the frontier areas of biology. The research interests of the faculty are in four broad areas ranging from the study of single molecules to systems biology.
It focuses on fundamental research from diverse fields of biology including Biochemistry, Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Neurobiology, Cellular Organization and Signalling, Genetics and Development, Theory and Modelling of Biological Systems, Ecology and Evolution etc. It engages in a number of collaborative initiatives, such as Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP).Together these three institutions serve as part of the Bangalore Bio-Cluster, bringing together fundamental research, translational studies, and technology development
PRELIMS QUESTIONS
- Consider the following statement with reference to PRABANDH
- It facilitate age appropriate admissions of children in the age group of 4-14 years
- It implementation of a centrally sponsored integrated scheme for schooling- Sarva Shiksha.
Select the correct statement using code given below.
(a). 1only                                (b) 2 only
(c). Both of them                (d). None of the above
Answer : D
The Ministry of Education launched an online module to compile data on out-of-school children. Through this, they will facilitate age appropriate admissions of children in the age group of 6-14 years and those belonging to socially and economically disadvantaged groups. PRABANDH (PRoject Appraisal, Budgeting, Achievements and Data Handling System) is a step towards leveraging technology to increase efficiency and manage the implementation of a centrally sponsored integrated scheme for schooling- Samagra Shiksha.
To track down such children, the ministry has developed an online module for compiling the data of out-of-school children identified by each state/UT and their mapping with special training centres (STC) on the PRABANDH portal. The child-wise information of the identified out of school children and STCs will be uploaded at block level under the supervision of block source coordinator of the certain block research centre (BRC).
- Consider the following statement with reference to Liquidity adjustment facilities
- It make loans to the RBI through repo agreements
- RBI introduced the LAF as a result of the Narasimham Committee on Banking Sector Reforms
Select the correct statement using code given below.
(a). 1only                                (b) 2 only
(c). Both of them                (d). None of the above
Answer : B
It is a tool used in monetary policy, primarily by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that allows banks to borrow money through repurchase agreements (repos) or to make loans to the RBI through reverse repo agreements. This arrangement is effective in managing liquidity pressures and assuring basic stability in the financial markets. The RBI introduced the LAF as a result of the Narasimham Committee on Banking Sector Reforms (1998).
Liquidity adjustment facilities are used to aid banks in resolving any short-term cash shortages during periods of economic instability or from any other form of stress caused by forces beyond their control. Various banks use eligible securities as collateral through a repo agreement and use the funds to alleviate their short-term requirements, thus remaining stable.