General Studies Paper -2 Context: The Union government announced that the much delayed Census 2021 will be held in two phases beginning October 1, 2026 and March 1, 2027. About The census, typically conducted every ten years to update the National Population Register (NPR), was scheduled for 2021 but had to be postponed due to the Covid pandemic. The delimitation of constituencies for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies is to be carried out on the basis of the first Census after 2026. This will be India’s first digital Census and will be the first Census since 1931 to....Read More

General Studies Paper -2 Context: While closing the 2007 Salwa Judum case, the Supreme Court recently observed that any law made by the Parliament or a State Legislature cannot be held to be an act of contempt of Court. SC’s Direction Every State Legislature has plenary powers to pass an enactment and so long as the said enactment has not been declared to be ultra vires the Constitution or, in any way, null and void by a constitutional court, the said enactment would have the force of law. The top court affirmed that the legislature can pass a law to....Read More

General Studies Paper-2 Context: The position of the Deputy Speaker has been lying vacant for the last six years raising questions on constitutional adherence and democratic resilience. Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha The Deputy Speaker serves as the Second-in-Command Presiding Officer of the Lower House of Parliament of India – the Lok Sabha. According to Article 95(1), the Deputy Speaker performs the duties of the Speaker if the post is vacant. The Deputy Speaker acts as the Speaker when the latter is absent from the sitting of the House. The Deputy Speaker presides over joint sittings of both Houses of....Read More

General Studies Paper -2 Context: Former Supreme Court Judge, Justice A.S. Oka, emphasized in a more democratic and institutionalised manner rather than being heavily centered around the Chief Justice of India (CJI). The Need for Reform Master of the Roster Doctrine: As reaffirmed in Shanti Bhushan vs. Supreme Court of India (2018), the CJI alone decides; Which bench hears which case, Which judges are assigned to benches, When the case is listed for hearing. Constitution Bench Control: Although Constitution Bench cases must consist of at least five judges, it is often the CJI who; Decides when such benches are constituted,....Read More

General Studies Paper-2 Context: President Droupadi Murmu sought the Supreme Court’s advisory opinion under Article 143 on whether the President and governors need to follow timelines to decide on state bills. Background Recently, the Supreme Court verdict laid down a timeline for the President and governors to decide on state bills. Though, the Governor is not bound by any time limit to act on a Bill. This creates a situation where the Governor can simply not act on a Bill indefinitely this is referred to as a “Pocket Veto”, although the term is not officially used in the Constitution. The....Read More

General Studies Paper-2 Context: The Supreme Court observed that if Rohingya refugees are found to be ‘foreigners’ under the Foreigners Act, they will be dealt with as per the law. About Petitioners’ Arguments: The Rohingya are recognized as refugees by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and thus deserve protection under the principle of non-refoulement (not returning refugees to a place where they face serious threats). Deportation to Myanmar, where they are stateless and allegedly face torture and death, violates Article 21 (Right to Life) and Article 14 (Right to Equality). Government’s and Court’s Position: India is not....Read More

General Studies Paper -2 Context: In India, the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight has often been questioned, while the Constitution provides a robust framework for legislative scrutiny. Strengthening this mechanism is essential for transparency, accountability, and good governance. About the Parliamentary Oversight in India It is a fundamental aspect of India’s democratic framework, ensuring that the executive remains accountable to the legislature. Parliament plays a crucial role in monitoring government actions, policies, and expenditures through various mechanisms such as Question Hour, Parliamentary Committees, and Budget Scrutiny. Key Mechanisms of Parliamentary Oversight  Parliamentary Oversight: Article 107: Defines the legislative process, including the....Read More

General Studies Paper-2 Context: The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, a crucial constitutional institution, has remained vacant since the constitution of the 17th Lok Sabha in 2019. This prolonged vacancy violates constitutional spirit, disrupts institutional balance, and undermines the ethos of parliamentary democracy. About Article 93 of the Constitution mandates that “the House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members to be Speaker and Deputy Speaker.” However, the Constitution does not specify a deadline, leading to ambiguity and misuse. The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha also....Read More

General Studies Paper-2 Context: Under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)-led Sahyog portal, the government has issued 130 content notices to online platforms like Google, YouTube, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft in the last 6 months. About These notices effectively act as content blocking orders and are sent under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. These fall outside Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, which has been commonly used to issue online censorship orders. As per Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, online intermediaries can lose their safe harbour protections if they fail to block access to....Read More

General Studies Paper-2 Context: The Telangana government has notified the implementation of the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act 2025 for categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SC) into three groups. About Telangana has become the first Stateto operationalise the classification of the Scheduled Castes after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment. The judgement upheld the constitutionality of sub-classifying the SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to grant separate quotas for the most marginalised groups within these communities. Methodology Used for Categorisation: As per the SC’s verdict, empirical data, social, economic, educational, employment and political status of the SC communities was considered. Categorisation:....Read More