UPMSP Intermediate Civics cheat sheet

Constituent Assembly formed under Cabinet Mission Plan 1946; first sitting 9 December 1946; Drafting Committee chaired by B. R. Ambedkar, constituted 29 August 1947.

Constitution adopted 26 November 1949 (Constitution Day); came into force 26 January 1950, replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the main operative framework.

Original Constitution: 395 Articles, 22 Parts, 8 Schedules; the Preamble declares India a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic with Justice, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity as objectives.

Borrowed features: parliamentary system and rule of law (UK), fundamental rights and judicial review (USA), Directive Principles (Ireland), emergency provisions (Weimar Germany), amendment procedure (South Africa), federalism with strong centre (Canada).

Key features: written and largely rigid constitution, single citizenship, universal adult franchise, independent judiciary, integrated judiciary, three-tier federal structure with Union, State and local levels.

Preamble amended by the 42nd Amendment (1976), which added the words Socialist and Secular; Preamble is part of the Constitution (Kesavananda Bharati, 1973; LIC of India case, 1995).

Basic structure doctrine: Parliament cannot amend features destroying the Constitution's basic structure; laid down in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973).

Amendment routes under Article 368: simple majority (ordinary law), special majority, and special majority plus ratification by half the State legislatures for federal provisions.

Fundamental Rights are in Part III (Articles 12-35); Article 12 defines 'State' for enforcement purposes, Article 13 makes laws inconsistent with Fundamental Rights void.

Six Fundamental Rights after deletion of the Right to Property (44th Amendment, 1978): Equality (14-18), Freedom (19-22), Against Exploitation (23-24), Religion (25-28), Cultural and Educational (29-30), Constitutional Remedies (32).

Article 32 (right to constitutional remedies) is itself a Fundamental Right; Dr. Ambedkar called it the 'heart and soul' of the Constitution; writs: habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, quo warranto.

Article 21A (Right to Education) inserted by 86th Amendment (2002), making free and compulsory education for ages 6-14 a Fundamental Right; implemented by the RTE Act 2009.

Fundamental Rights are enforceable against the State by courts; Directive Principles (Part IV, Articles 36-51) are non-justiciable guidelines for policy, though courts use them to interpret laws.

Fundamental Duties (Article 51A) added by 42nd Amendment (1976) on Swaran Singh Committee recommendation; originally 10 duties, 11th added by 86th Amendment (education duty of parents).

Rights are subject to reasonable restrictions, e.g., Article 19 freedoms restricted on grounds of sovereignty, security, public order, decency, morality; Article 19 amended by First Amendment (1951).

Conflict resolution: laws implementing Directive Principles can prevail over Articles 14 and 19 if the State shows implementation (Article 31C, added by 25th Amendment 1971, later restricted by Minerva Mills 1980 and Kesavananda).

President: elected indirectly by an electoral college of elected MPs and elected MLAs using proportional representation by single transferable vote; term 5 years; impeachment under Article 61 for violation of the Constitution.

President's powers: executive (Article 53), legislative (summoning, prorogation, dissolution, ordinance under Article 123), appointment, pardoning (Articles 72), and emergency powers (Articles 352, 356, 360).

Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister advises the President; advice is binding after the 42nd and 44th Amendments, with one reconsideration allowed (Article 74).

Parliament: President plus Rajya Sabha (max 250, 12 nominated by President) and Lok Sabha (max 552); Money Bills originate only in Lok Sabha and require only Lok Sabha approval (Article 110).

Ordinary Bill: passed by both Houses, President may assent, withhold, or return once for reconsideration; if re-passed, assent is mandatory (Article 111).

Judiciary: integrated single system; Supreme Court judges appointed by President, retire at 65; High Court judges retire at 62; removal only by impeachment for proved misbehaviour or incapacity (Article 124).

Judicial review: courts can strike down laws and executive actions violating Fundamental Rights or exceeding constitutional powers; Supreme Court's writ jurisdiction under Article 32, High Court's under Article 226.

Judicial activism and PIL: relaxation of locus standi permits any public-spirited person to file; advisory jurisdiction under Article 143 lets the President seek the Supreme Court's opinion.

India is a federation with a strong centralising tendency: single citizenship, single integrated judiciary, All India Services, and emergency provisions that can convert the system into a unitary one.

Seventh Schedule distributes subjects: Union List (97 entries, defence, foreign affairs, currency), State List (66 entries, police, public health), Concurrent List (47 entries, education, forests); residuary powers with Parliament (Article 248).

Article 356 (President's Rule) allows takeover of a State's government when constitutional machinery fails; S. R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) held the proclamation subject to judicial review.

Governor: appointed by the President, not elected; acts as constitutional head of the State, can reserve Bills for the President (Article 200), and holds office at the President's pleasure.

Legislative relations: Parliament can legislate on State List subjects under Article 249 (Rajya Sabha resolution) or Article 250 (national emergency); Article 252 allows two or more States to request central legislation.

Administrative relations: Article 256 obliges States to ensure compliance with Union laws; Article 263 provides for an Inter-State Council to coordinate.

Financial relations: Finance Commission (Article 280) recommends devolution of taxes every five years; GST Council (101st Amendment, 2016) decides indirect tax rates.

Cooperative federalism bodies: Inter-State Council, Zonal Councils, National Development Council (now NITI Aayog), and GST Council; Article 131 gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction in Centre-State disputes.

Election Commission of India: constitutional body under Article 324; Chief Election Commissioner removed only by impeachment-like process; conducts elections to Parliament, State legislatures, President and Vice-President.

First-past-the-post system: candidate with the highest number of valid votes wins, even without a majority; used for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

Eligibility: Lok Sabha candidate must be an Indian citizen, at least 25 years old, and a registered voter; Rajya Sabha candidate must be at least 30 years old.

Anti-defection law (10th Schedule, 52nd Amendment 1985): a legislator who voluntarily gives up party membership or votes against the party whip may be disqualified; Speaker decides.

Recognition of political parties: a party is recognised as a State party on a minimum vote share or seats; national party status requires a specified share of votes in multiple States (as per ECI rules).

Electoral reforms: reduction of voting age from 21 to 18 (61st Amendment, 1988), EVMs, VVPAT, NOTA (2013), ceiling on election expenditure, disclosure of criminal and financial details by candidates (Supreme Court, 2003).

Model Code of Conduct: ECI-enforced from announcement of elections until results; regulates campaigning, government announcements, and use of official machinery.

Representation of the People Act, 1950 and 1951: govern voter registration, conduct of elections, disqualification of candidates, and corrupt practices.

Public opinion is the aggregate of citizen attitudes on public issues; it is shaped by family, education, media, religion, caste, and peer groups.

Media functions include informing, agenda-setting, watchdog role, and opinion formation; press freedom is implicit in Article 19(1)(a) freedom of speech and expression.

Pressure groups (interest groups) seek to influence policy without contesting elections; examples: trade unions (INTUC, CITU), business bodies (FICCI, ASSOCHAM), farmer organisations, professional associations.

Types of pressure groups: sectional (protecting members' interests, e.g., unions) and promotional (promoting causes, e.g., environmental groups); tactics include lobbying, strikes, demonstrations, and election support.

Political parties aggregate interests, formulate policies, recruit leaders, and mobilise voters; India's party system is a multi-party system with national and regional parties.

Political processes include voting behaviour, caste and religion-based mobilisation, coalition politics, and social movements; voter turnout varies by region and election type.

Civil society and NGOs influence policy through advocacy, litigation (PIL), and campaigns; social media has become a major channel for opinion formation and mobilisation.

73rd Constitutional Amendment (1992) gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj; 74th Amendment (1992) covered urban local bodies; both came into force in 1993.

Three-tier Panchayati Raj structure: Gram Panchayat at village level, Panchayat Samiti at block level, Zila Parishad at district level; States with population below 20 lakh may not have the intermediate tier.

Mandatory provisions: five-year term, elections within six months of dissolution, reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to population, one-third seats for women, State Election Commission, State Finance Commission.

Eleventh Schedule lists 29 subjects for Panchayats (agriculture, rural housing, drinking water, poverty alleviation, etc.); Twelfth Schedule lists 18 subjects for urban bodies (urban planning, water supply, slums, etc.).

Gram Sabha: body of all registered voters in a village; constitutional base of direct democracy and approval of Panchayat plans and accounts.

Urban local bodies: Municipal Corporation (large city), Municipality (smaller town), Nagar Panchayat (transitional area), plus Cantonment Boards; composition and powers set by State law.

Reservation for women: not less than one-third of total seats in Panchayats and urban bodies; many States have raised this to 50 per cent by State law.

Core principles of Indian foreign policy: non-alignment, Panchsheel (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, 1954 with China), anti-colonialism, and strategic autonomy.

Non-Aligned Movement (NAM): founded at Belgrade 1961 with India, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia; India's role associated with Nehru's policy of non-alignment during the Cold War.

India is a founding member of the United Nations (1945) and a member of the Commonwealth, SAARC (1985), BIMSTEC, G20, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

India has consistently sought permanent membership of the UN Security Council and supports reform of the UN; it is a major troop contributor to UN peacekeeping.

India's nuclear policy: Pokhran-I (1974) and Pokhran-II (1998) tests; No First Use doctrine; India-US civil nuclear deal (2005-2008) ended nuclear isolation.

Look East/Act East policy, Neighbourhood First, and Indo-Pacific strategy shape regional engagement; India is a member of the Quad (with US, Japan, Australia).

Key bilateral issues: Kashmir with Pakistan, boundary dispute with China, trade with the US and EU, and energy security with West Asia.

Corruption challenges accountability; key legal tools: Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, Central Vigilance Commission (1964), Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013 (Anna Hazare movement), and the Right to Information Act 2005.

Criminalisation of politics: candidates must disclose criminal cases (Supreme Court, 2003); the Representation of the People Act disqualifies those convicted and sentenced to two years or more.

Regionalism: identification with a region's interests; can be constructive (demands for development) or divisive (secessionist movements, e.g., in Kashmir and the Northeast); States Reorganisation Act 1956 created linguistic States.

Communalism: politicisation of religion; challenged by secularism enshrined in the Preamble, the National Integration Council, and laws against hate speech and communal violence.

Casteism and social justice: Article 15 prohibits discrimination, Article 16 permits reservation; Mandal Commission (1980) recommended OBC reservation, implemented in 1990; 103rd Amendment (2019) added EWS reservation.

Other challenges: caste and religion-based vote banks, money power in elections, criminalisation, dynastic politics, and erosion of institutional autonomy.

Social justice measures: reservation in education and public employment, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, and welfare schemes for weaker sections.

Citizenship in India: single citizenship; Part II (Articles 5-11) deals with citizenship at commencement; Parliament has power to regulate citizenship (Article 11).

Citizenship Act 1955 provides for acquisition by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation, and incorporation of territory; Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) is not dual citizenship.

Fundamental Rights protect marginalized groups: Article 15 prohibits discrimination, Article 17 abolishes untouchability, Article 23 prohibits trafficking and forced labour, Article 24 prohibits child labour in hazardous work.

Article 46 (Directive Principle) directs the State to promote educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and weaker sections.

National Commissions: National Commission for Scheduled Castes (Article 338), Scheduled Tribes (Article 338A), and Backward Classes (Article 338B) monitor safeguards.

Civic responsibilities: respecting the Constitution, the national flag and anthem, protecting sovereignty and unity, defending the country, promoting harmony, and safeguarding public property (Article 51A).

Voting, paying taxes, obeying laws, protecting the environment, and participating in local governance are core civic duties; Fundamental Duties are non-justiciable but guide conduct.