Indian Polity Lecture Summary

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the historical acts, constitutional provisions, and key administrative bodies of the Indian Polity as detailed in the Amit Kilhor lecture summary.

Regulating Act of 1773

The first step taken by the British Government to control and regulate the affairs of the East India Company, designating the Governor of Bengal as the 'Governor-General of Bengal'.

Lord Warren Hastings

The first person to be designated as the Governor-General of Bengal under the Regulating Act of 1773.

Amending Act of 1781

Also known as the Act of Settlement, it exempted the Governor-General and his Council from the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for their official acts.

Pitt’s India Act of 1784

Established a system of dual government by creating the Board of Control to manage political affairs while the Court of Directors managed commercial affairs.

Charter Act of 1813

Ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China, and provided 1 lakh rupees for education.

Charter Act of 1833

The final step towards centralization in British India, designating the Governor-General of Bengal as the 'Governor-General of India'.

Lord William Bentinck

The first Governor-General of India, appointed following the enactment of the Charter Act of 1833.

Charter Act of 1853

Separated the legislative and executive functions of the Governor-General’s council and introduced an open competition for civil services.

Government of India Act of 1858

Known as the Act for the Good Government of India, it replaced Company rule with Crown rule and changed the Governor-General's title to Viceroy of India.

Indian Councils Act of 1861

Initiated the process of decentralization and gave statutory recognition to the portfolio system introduced by Lord Canning.

Indian Councils Act of 1892

Introduced the beginning of a representative system in India through indirect elections and empowered councils to discuss the budget.

Indian Councils Act of 1909

Also known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, it introduced separate electorates for Muslims and provided for the association of Indians with executive councils.

Satyendra Prasad Sinha

The first Indian to join the Viceroy’s Executive Council, appointed as the law member under the Act of 1909.

Government of India Act of 1919

Also known as the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, it introduced diarchy in the provinces and established a bicameral legislature at the Center.

Government of India Act of 1935

Provided for an All-India Federation and replaced provincial diarchy with 'provincial autonomy'.

Indian Independence Act of 1947

Declared India an independent and sovereign state as of August 15, 1947, and provided for the creation of two independent dominions.

M.N. Roy

The pioneer of the communist movement in India who first put forward the idea of a Constituent Assembly in 1934.

Objective Resolution

A resolution moved by Jawaharlal Nehru on December 13, 1946, which laid down the fundamentals and philosophy of the constitutional structure.

Drafting Committee

A seven-member body set up on August 29, 1947, chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to prepare a draft of the Indian Constitution.

42nd Constitutional Amendment Act (1976)

The amendment that added the words 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'Integrity' to the Preamble of the Constitution.

Sovereign

A Preamble keyword implying that India is an independent state, free to conduct its own internal and external affairs without dependency on any other nation.

Republic

Indicates that the head of the state (President) is elected for a fixed period and that political sovereignty is vested in the people.

Magna Carta of India

A description often applied to Part III of the Constitution, which covers the Fundamental Rights from Articles 12 to 35.

Rule of Law

A concept propounded by A.V. Dicey meaning the absence of special privileges and equal subjection of all persons to the ordinary law of the land.

Habeas Corpus

A writ literally meaning 'to have the body of', issued by a court to produce a person who has been detained.

Mandamus

A writ literally meaning 'we command', issued to a public official to perform their official duties.

Quo-Warranto

A writ literally meaning 'by what authority or warrant', used to enquire into the legality of a person's claim to a public office.

Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)

Guidelines enumerated in Part IV (Articles 36-51) that are non-justiciable but fundamental to the governance of the country.

Fundamental Duties

A set of ten (now eleven) duties for citizens located in Part IV-A (Article 51A), added by the 42nd Amendment based on Swaran Singh Committee recommendations.

Article 368

The provision in Part XX that deals with the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and its specific procedure.

Doctrine of Basic Structure

A judicial principle from the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) stating that Parliament cannot amend the fundamental features of the Constitution.

Joint Sitting

An extraordinary machinery under Article 108 to resolve a deadlock between the two Houses of Parliament over an ordinary or financial bill.

Consolidated Fund of India

A fund under Article 266 to which all government receipts are credited and all authorized payments are debited.

Finance Commission

A quasi-judicial body constituted by the President every five years under Article 280 to recommend the distribution of tax revenues.

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)

The 'Guardian of public purse' appointed under Article 148 who audits all accounts related to the Consolidated Fund of India and the states.

Attorney General of India

The highest law officer in the country, appointed by the President under Article 76 to give legal advice to the Union Government.

NITI Aayog

A non-constitutional 'Think Tank' established on January 1, 2015, replacing the Planning Commission to foster cooperative federalism.

Lokayukta

The state-level equivalent of the central Lokpal, established to deal with complaints relating to corruption against public functionaries.

Gram Sabha

The foundation of the Panchayati Raj system, consisting of all persons registered in the electoral rolls of a village within the panchayat area.

PESA Act of 1996

The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, which extends the Panchayati Raj provisions to Fifth Schedule areas.

61st Constitutional Amendment Act (1988)

The amendment that reduced the voting age from 21 years to 18 years for Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

NOTA (None of the Above)

An option on ballot papers and EVMs that allows voters to exercise their right not to vote for any candidate while maintaining secrecy.

Tenth Schedule

Added by the 52nd Amendment, it contains provisions regarding the disqualification of members on the ground of defection.