Parliament and Legislatures Of Uts and States

Parliament Accountability Mechanism Question Hour Functioning Bills Referred To Committees; Lok Sabha: ~60% functioning; 17th Lok Sabha: Only 16% of bills referred; Rajya Sabha: ~52% functioning; 15th Lok Sabha: 71%; 16th Lok Sabha: 25%; Only 24–31% of oral questions answered
Budget Scrutiny Same-Day Bill Passage 2019–2023

Around 80% of budget passed; 45 of 222 bills passed on the day of without discussion introduction in 17th Lok Sabha; 2023: Entire budget passed without any; Many bills discussed for less than 2 hours discussion
Attendance Of Mps Lok Sabha Sittings 17th Lok

Average 79%; 17th Lok Sabha: 274 sittings; Slight decline from 81% in previous Lok; 16th Lok Sabha: 331 sittings Sabha; No Deputy Speaker was elected in the entire 17th Lok Sabha

Election and Politics

Electoral Bonds And Party Funding Constitutional And Legal Framework; ₹3,438 crore raised through Electoral; Representation of the People Act, 1951 Bonds in 2019–20.; Delimitation Commission Act, 2002; ₹2,664 crore raised through Bonds in; Articles: 81, 82, 170, 243K, 243ZA, 323B, 324– 2021–22. 327, 329; Sources of Party Funding (from 31 parties; 84th Constitutional Amendment Act analyzed):; 55.9% from Electoral…
Key Committees On Electoral Reforms Ram Nath

Simultaneous Elections; Indrajit Gupta Committee – State Funding of Elections; Vohra Committee – Criminalisation of Politics; Goswami Committee – Electoral Reforms; Law Commission – Reform of Electoral Laws; Jeevan Reddy Committee (2004), NCRWC (2001); Second ARC (2008), Tarkunde Committee (1974)

Impact

Landmark ruling for transparency in political funding.; Ends unequal access to corporate funding and levels electoral playing field.; Curtails opaque influence on elections.
Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) v. Union

Supports essay points on money power in politics and corporate–state nexus.; Relevant for debates on institutional integrity and voter empowerment.; A turning point in restoring accountability in electoral finance.

Aruna Shanbaug v. Union of India (2011) – Passive

Recognised the right to refuse treatment.; Urged Parliament to enact euthanasia laws (which culminated in 2018 verdict). Impact:; Laid the groundwork for Common Cause v. Union of India (2018), which legalised living wills and advance directives.; Brought patient autonomy and end-of-life care intopublic debate.; Helps analyse the scope of Article 21 in linking right to life with right to die with dignity.; Directly…

Berubari Union Case (1960)

Limits of Parliament's Power to Cede Territory Background: Following the Nehru-Noon Agreement (1958) to transfer part of Berubari Union to Pakistan, the President referred the matter under Article 143 to determine the correct constitutional procedure. Judgement:; Article 3 pertains only to internal reorganisation.; Territorial cession needs a constitutional amendment under Article 368.; Article 1(3)(c) doesn't allow…
Berubari Union Case (1960) - Limits of Parliament's

Key Supreme Court Judgements 17
Berubari Union Case (1960) - Limits of Parliament's

Useful in explaining the 2015 India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement and why amendment was required.; It demonstrates judicial scrutiny of foreign policy-linked actions.; Relevant for questions on executive accountability vs. constitutional supremacy.

Anti-Defection Law

G. Viswanathan V. Speaker, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Case (1996):; Expelled members remain "unattached" but still part of their original party unless they join a new party, which constitutes defection.; Clarified that joining a new party after expulsion leads to defection. Kihoto Hollohan Case (1992):; Upheld the Anti-Defection Law, making the Speaker's decision subject to limited judicial review. Courts can't…
Anti-Defection Law

Key Supreme Court Judgements 30

Electoral Reforms

Union of India V. Harbans Singh Jalal and Others Case (1997):; The SC affirmed that the Election Commission is entitled to take necessary steps to ensure free and fair elections.

Speaker

Mohd. Saeed Siddiqui V. State of Uttar Pradesh / Yogendra Kumar Jaiswal V. State of Bihar (2015):; SC ruled that the Speaker's decision, especially regarding whether a bill is a Money Bill, is final and not subject to judicial review. Legislative procedures cannot be questioned under Article 212.; Affirmed the Speaker's authority and protected legislative procedures from judicial interference.
Speaker

It can also be quoted in Seperation of Power questions.

Facts and figures for this syllabus heading.