Governance and Political Studies
The Power to Pardon

The sovereign’s right to pardon an offender has always gone together with the concept of sovereignty and hand in hand with the sovereign’s power to punish. Before the Magna Carta the King ruled England through the Divine Right of Kings and all th....

Sanjay Dutt must be Wary of his Friends

Ever since the Supreme Court pronounced its verdict and sentenced actor Sanjay Dutt to five years rigorous imprisonment in the 1993 Bombay blasts case, a motley group of friends and so-called well-wishers of the actor have sprung to his defence and a....

Need for A Collegium to Choose The Next CAG

Speaking on the role and functions of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in the Constituent Assembly on May 30, 1949, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, said that this officer was “probably the most ....

Supporting War Criminals - Is Bengal’s Liberal Space Shrinking?

Something unprecedented happened over the last week end (30th March) in Kolkata. Sixteen Islamic organizations came together at the Maidan, the second largest public ground in the city, in protest against the ongoing War Crimes Trial in Ba....

At Last, EVMs will have A Paper Trail

After standing on false prestige and even becoming vindictive against those who suspected the integrity of electronic voting machines, the Election Commission has finally acceded to the demand that the machines must issue a paper receipt to voters. T....

The Justice System

The justice system in India is passing through an extremely difficult period, for which there are a number of reasons. Let us start with the basics, that is, the separation of powers. In this a very special position is given to the Judiciary which m....

'Security Implications of Contemporary Political Environment in India'

Dr. Sudhir S. Bloeria, Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Jammu and Former Chief Secretary of Jammu & Kashmir (This is the text of presentation made by Dr. Bloeria during Vimarsha series of talk at the VIF on 22 Feb 2013) ....

Our Environmental Health

Much as one loves India --- and I am xenophobic about it --- one cannot help but ask the question, are we a nation which worships symbolism more than substance? As a people are we given so much to tokenism that tokens salve our conscience, tokens dic....

The Politicisation of Criminal Justice

Afzal Guru masterminded the attack on Parliament in 2001, which left nine security and parliament staff dead, with five attackers also being killed. He was arrested and tried for his crimes, sentenced to death by the Sessions Court and his convictio....

Reforming the Criminal Justice System

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....

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