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Governance and Political Studies
Reforming the Criminal Justice System
Dr N Manoharan

Justice JS Verma Committee that recently submitted its findings titled as ‘Report of the Committee on Amendments to Criminal Law’ has once again brought to focus the urgent need for reforms in the criminal justice system in India. The principal o....

February 08, 2013 National Security and Strategic Studies , Governance and Political Studies , Police - Law and Order
The Governor, the Constitution and the Courts
Dr M N Buch (late)

The Supreme Court of India, in a Division Bench consisting of Dr. Justice B.S. Chauhan and Mr. Justice Fakkir Mohammed Ibrahim Kalifulla, has disposed of a civil appeal filed by the State of Gujarat Vs. Hon’ble Justice R.A. Mehta on the question of....

February 01, 2013 Governance and Political Studies
Status of Indian Education - Present Trends and Past Systems: Some Reflections
Dr Anirban Ganguly

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012 is out and has already generated discussion on the state of education in the country. A quick survey of some figures seem to point to a mix of a movement forward – especially in terms of infrastruct....

January 29, 2013 Governance and Political Studies
Systemic Failure or Organ Failure?
Dr M N Buch (late)

The Chambers Twenty-first Dictionary, which is quite an authoritative lexicon, describes ‘system’ in the following words, “A set of inter-connected or inter-related parts forming a complex whole”. The word ‘systemic’ is defined as “refe....

January 08, 2013 Governance and Political Studies
An Object Lesson in Government Incompetence
Dr M N Buch (late)

When salmon swim against all odds to reach their spawning grounds no obstruction can stop them. The huge number of rape cases now being reported in India reminds me of this annual migration of salmon. Was India free of rape till fairly recently and ....

December 31, 2012 Governance and Political Studies
The Undisputed vote ka Saudagar !
Dr A Surya Prakash

The resounding victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recent Gujarat Assembly election has once again reinforced the argument that with good governance and a strong development-oriented agenda, it is possible to buck the anti-incumbency t....

December 27, 2012 Governance and Political Studies
Politics of Secularism: Who is Secular in India?
Dr M N Buch (late)

I may be permitted to start this paper with a personal statement because some controversial issues would be raised in the paper and I want it to be understood in advance that personally I am deeply committed to secularism. I sincerely believe that th....

December 14, 2012 Governance and Political Studies
We, the Living! Need to Revise Land Use Policies
Dr M N Buch (late)

In Delhi along the Yamuna River a stretch of 371 hectares, that is, approximately 927 acres, has come under cremation ground, samadhi, etc., of people perceived as the leaders of the nation. These include Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur....

December 14, 2012 Governance and Political Studies
Integrity and Ethics in the Civil Service
Dr M N Buch (late)

In order to understand the topic of this paper perhaps it would be best to have clearly before us the definition of the issues we are addressing. For this purpose resort was had to the new Oxford Dictionary of English. There are four words whose ....

December 03, 2012 Governance and Political Studies
CAG and The Indian Constitution
Dr Makkhan Lal, Distinguished Fellow, VIF (2015 - 2017)

In India, it has become customary to abuse the Constitution and/or Constitutional Authority whenever a political party or a political leader is in trouble for its or his misdeeds. Let us not forget that this began with Jawaharlal Nehru himself and ....

November 26, 2012 Governance and Political Studies
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