TS DEECET key terms

The process of redrawing the boundaries of assembly and parliamentary seats after a census so that each seat represents a roughly equal number of voters. In India it is carried out by an independent Delimitation Commission.

A set of basic freedoms guaranteed to every citizen by Part III of the Indian Constitution, including equality, freedom of speech, and protection against exploitation. They can be enforced through courts by writs.

Guidelines in Part IV of the Indian Constitution that direct governments to promote social and economic welfare, such as free education and equal pay. They are not directly enforceable in courts but guide lawmaking.

The power of the High Courts and Supreme Court to issue orders such as habeas corpus and mandamus to protect fundamental rights or correct legal errors. High Courts exercise it more widely than the Supreme Court.

The authority of courts to examine laws and government actions and declare them invalid if they violate the Constitution. It is a basic feature of the Indian constitutional system.

A seasonal reversal of wind direction that brings heavy rainfall to India from June to September when moist winds blow from the sea. Agriculture in most of the country depends on it.

The dry leeward side of a mountain range that receives little rain because moisture-laden winds have already shed their water on the windward slopes. In India, interior Deccan districts lie in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats.

A crop sown with the arrival of the monsoon rains in June and harvested in autumn, such as rice, cotton, and maize. It requires warm weather and abundant water.

A crop sown in winter after the monsoon has ended and harvested in spring, such as wheat, gram, and mustard. It grows well in cool weather with irrigation.

The rapid rise in food grain output in India from the late 1960s achieved through high-yielding seed varieties, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and assured irrigation. It was concentrated in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh.

A crop grown mainly to be sold rather than eaten by the farmer's family, such as cotton, sugarcane, or tobacco. It links farming to markets and can raise income but also risk.

The angular distance of a place north or south of the equator, measured in degrees from 0 at the equator to 90 at the poles. It mainly determines a place's climate and day length.

The angular distance of a place east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees up to 180. Lines of longitude fix time zones and, with latitude, pinpoint any location.

The line of longitude chosen as the reference for a country's official clock time. India uses 82 degrees 30 minutes east, which sets Indian Standard Time five and a half hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

The parallel of latitude about 23.5 degrees north of the equator, the northern limit of the region where the sun can be directly overhead. It passes through the middle of India.

A long mountain range running parallel to India's western coast, higher and steeper than the Eastern Ghats. It intercepts the south-west monsoon and is a global biodiversity hotspot.

Setting aside a fixed share of seats in legislatures, education, or government jobs for members of specified social groups such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It aims to correct historical disadvantage.

The official counting of a country's population, recording numbers and characteristics such as age, sex, literacy, and occupation. India carries it out every ten years, and the data guide planning and delimitation.

The number of females per thousand males in a population. In India it is a key social indicator, and a low child sex ratio signals discrimination against girls.

The percentage of people aged seven and above in a population who can read and write with understanding. It is a standard measure of educational development reported in the census.

A system in which the government takes responsibility for the basic well-being of citizens through public education, health care, pensions, and relief for the poor. India's Directive Principles point toward such a state.

A government-run network of fair price shops that supplies subsidised food grains and other essentials to poor households. It is a major instrument of food security in India.

A condition in which all people at all times have physical and economic access to enough safe and nutritious food for an active life. It depends on availability, affordability, and stable supply.

The total money value of all final goods and services produced within a country's borders during a given period. It is the most common measure of the size of an economy.

A sustained rise in the general level of prices, which reduces the purchasing power of money. It is usually measured by changes in a price index such as the consumer price index.

The interest rate at which the central bank lends short-term funds to commercial banks against securities. Raising it tends to reduce borrowing and cool inflation.

The actions of a central bank to control the money supply and credit in an economy, mainly through interest rates and reserve requirements. In India it is set by the Reserve Bank's monetary policy committee.

The average income of each person in a country, found by dividing national income by population. It is used as a rough indicator of living standards.

A composite measure combining life expectancy, education, and income to rank countries by overall human well-being. It was developed by the United Nations Development Programme.

A list in Article 51A of the Indian Constitution of moral obligations for citizens, such as respecting the national flag and protecting the environment. They were added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.

The principle that Parliament cannot amend the Constitution in a way that destroys its essential features, such as democracy and judicial review. It was established in the Kesavananda Bharati case of 1973.

A constitutional provision, in the Tenth Schedule added in 1985, under which legislators who voluntarily leave their party or disobey its whip may lose their seat. It aims to discourage floor-crossing.

The system of local self-government in rural India, with elected bodies at village, block, and district levels. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment of 1992 gave it constitutional status.