Independent

2022 - 8 - 15

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Image courtesy of "Onmanorama"

This 93-year-old ex-soldier vividly remembers the birth of ... (Onmanorama)

Viyyur resident N Kunju reminisces about his military life, the moments before and after the partition of India, the country's independence and the.

He reached the then Madras in search of a job, saw the army recruitment centre there and joined the force as a sepoy clerk. We did a flag march in the area holding guns. There was a massive protest against it. After 26 years of serving in the army, Kunju stepped down in 1973. There was a strong anti-British sentiment among the army, navy and air force personnel. 'This. India', he said in a firm voice.

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Image courtesy of "The Hindu"

The spectrum of law-making in independent India (The Hindu)

Coalition governments have shown greater allegiance to the constitutional promise than super-majority governments.

Heading a minority government, his legislative response was reasonably sober: the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 for maintenance of the religious character of places of worship; creation of the Securities and Exchanges Board of India (1992), introduction of a service tax regime (1994), and consolidating public sector enterprises. In response to the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, Manmohan Singh created the National Investigation Agency that effectively cut into the powers of States to manage law and order. And in a nation of such immense diversity like ours, that’s a beautiful thing. The foremost legislative task before the Morarji Desai government was to roll back the excesses committed under the Emergency with the enactment of the 44th Constitutional Amendment and restore civil liberties and judicial independence. The most damning moment was the proclamation of Emergency and the passage of the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, suspending civil rights and elections. There was the dilution of Article 370 withdrawing the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir, followed swiftly by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act with the aim of excluding Muslims refugees from rights to fast-track citizenship. Manmohan Singh’s legislations reflect a rights-based approach to secure the egalitarian demands of democracy. In Mr. Modi’s second term, there was a seriously authoritarian bent of mind. The first government led by Jawaharlal Nehru inherited a copious body of constitutional, substantive, and procedural laws made between the early 1800s to 1947, and a trained bureaucracy to administer them. It continued, in large measure, the predecessor’s confiscatory economic policies, notably nationalising more industries and also the first exercise of demonetisation of currency notes in 1978. The Preamble lists the objectives of the Constitution to secure for all citizens justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. Indira Gandhi continued Shastri’s policies towards a food-secure India and legislated the Seeds Act 1966, the Insecticides Act 1968, and also created two agricultural universities in 1970.

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Image courtesy of "Observer Research Foundation"

Civil-military relations in Independent India | ORF (Observer Research Foundation)

What explains India's success in keeping the military out of politics, and how have civil-military…

This firewall between the civilian leadership and military officials in operational matters has to be razed for optimal functioning of civil-military ties in the interest of the nation. The Defence Secretary continued to be responsible for India’s defence, and the phrase “including defence policy” was added to the old language of the 1961 AOBR. Additionally, the government clarified that Defence Secretary would continue to be responsible for capital acquisitions. However, early on, military officials resented the extent of civilian control over their actions, the civilian officials’ lack of military knowledge and their restricted role in national security decision-making. Meanwhile, establishing the military/defence wing in the National Security Council Secretariat created another avenue for the military’s involvement in national security thinking and decision-making. The Group of Ministers on National Security in 2001 recommended integrating the civilians and the military in the MoD and creating the Chief of Defence Staff’s (CDS) position. [2] It comprised the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (where Sardar Baldev Singh served as India’s first defence minister), the Defence Minister’s Committee (with the three Commanders-in-Chief, the Defence Secretary and the Financial Adviser) and the Chiefs of Staff Committee (comprising the three Chiefs). In succeeding years, this structure waxed and waned. The civilian supremacy over the military continued to expand in subsequent years. By this time, another tendency was visible—the civilians consulting the military, apprising them of the political considerations but leaving the specifics of the operational details to them. This made the Commander-in-Chief of the army “ one of the three nominally equal chiefs.” In one stroke, Nehru had eliminated a centre of power in the military, thereby, underwriting the civilian government’s dominance. In academics, this is described as the ‘civil-military relations’ concept that focuses on managing the relations between the civilian executive and military, two of the most important state organs. Lord Kitchener won the bureaucratic battle against Lord Curzon, as a result of which the Commander-in-Chief of India occupied a dual position of being the equivalent of the Army Chief and the Minister of Defence. But Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru introduced several reforms that did away with this colonial legacy and cast a new mould of civil-military relations. The country has followed the sine qua non of civilian supremacy over the armed forces, thereby, minimising the latter’s role in domestic politics.

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Image courtesy of "Economic Times"

From 'homemakers' to 'nation builders; From independent to ... (Economic Times)

The year 2022 is of special significance to every Indian, given that it marks the 75th anniversary of India's Independence. As we celebrate 'Azadi ka Amrit ...

The time has come to change the game, the time has come to break the bias. In the initial years of our independence, women were contributing to the informal economy and in this journey to the present India, women redefined their roles as the ones fueling economic growth in addition to being culture custodians. More women cops. While ushering in amrit kal, where we rightfully celebrate the dreamers, the disruptors, the warriors, the nurturers, the achievers, unsung sheroes, etc., we must not forget to work towards building a progressive and safe nation for women. More women athletes. More women judges. More women politicians. More women engineers. It has been a journey from Ms. Leila Seth, the first woman Chief Justice of a High Court in India to soon having the First Woman Chief Justice of India- Justice B. V. Nagarathna. These women have questioned and taken to bits the gender constructs that once obstructed women’s growth in leadership roles. As more and more women got access to education, it facilitated the transformation of young girls into resilient women ready to take on leadership roles, irrespective of economic or social background. We need more women scientists. A journey of self-belief, courage, sacrifice, and camaraderie, spearheaded by some ‘revolutionary women’. They believed in their capabilities and refuse to be defined by any gender roles set by society.

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