Parliament and state legislatures

Union IT Minister said that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT and Communications had given a big thumbs up to the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022. The purpose of this Bill is to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises the right of individuals to protect …

In parliamentary parlance, a whip is a written order that party members be present for an important vote, or that they vote only in a particular way. It can also refer to a designated official authorised by a party to issue a whip. In India, rebelling against a three-line whip …

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has drafted a Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill A data protection law must safeguard and balance peoples’ right to privacy and their right to information, which are fundamental rights flowing from the Constitution. Unfortunately, this Bill fails on both counts. There are …

What is the Special Marriage Act:                                      The Special Marriage Act of 1954 (SMA) was passed by the Parliament on October 9, 1954. It governs a civil marriage where the state sanctions the marriage rather than the religion. Issues of personal law such as marriage, divorce, adoption are governed by religious …

A committee to consider blocking requests under the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information for Public) Rules, 2009, met 53 times in 2022, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology told Parliament on Wednesday. The government issued orders directing the “blocking [of] a total of …

The Centre on Friday released the endorsement guidelines for celebrities and social media influencers, mandating compulsory disclosure of monitory or material benefits of a product or a brand they are promoting through social media platforms. Failing to do so will attract a penalty of up to ₹50 lakh. Releasing the …

The gazette notification on the Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2022, came out on December 29. Ever since the Union Power Ministry shared the draft rules with the States last August, the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala had fiercely objected to Rule 14 which permits distribution companies (Discoms) to automatically recover from consumers, …

The recent flashpoint between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena was triggered ahead of the January 6 election of the Mayor and deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). AAP has accused the LG of issuing orders on “practically everything” and bypassing …

The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed dramatic scenes on January 9. When the Governor skipped portions of the address that was prepared and approved by the State Cabinet, including references to political stalwarts from the State and the Dravidian model of governance, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin moved a resolution to …

The victory of the AamAadmi Party in the recent Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections has added a fresh backdrop to the unceasing face-off between the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory and the elected government. Several Governors, who are all too eager to further the Bharatiya Janata Party’s …

In an unprecedented face-off, Governor R.N. Ravi on Monday abruptly walked out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly as Chief Minister M.K. Stalin disapproved of his selective deviation from the approved text of the Governor’s Address to the House and moved a resolution to take on record only the transcript distributed …

Foreign universities and educational institutions could soon be allowed to set up campuses in India as per the draft regulations made public by the University Grants Commission (UGC). What has the UGC proposed? The UGC announced the draft regulations for ‘Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational …

In December 1992, Parliament passed the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments, which instituted panchayats and municipalities, respectively. These amendments mandated that State governments constitute panchayats (at the village, block and district levels) and municipalities (in the form of municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats) in every region. They sought …

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has released draft amendments in relation to online gaming. The idea is to ensure that online games are in conformity with Indian laws and to safeguard users against potential harm. The Minister of State at MeitY Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that the draft …

Assam remerged four districts with the ones they were carved out of four days after the Election Commission of India (ECI) notified the initiation of the delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in the State on December 27, 2022. Many welcomed the ECI decision but questioned the use of the …

In a sign of escalating conflict between the government and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) over the Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022, panel Chairperson Harsh Chouhan on Monday said its position on the new rules being violative of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 “will be the same” even as …

The Electronics and Information Technology Ministry on Monday proposed an amendment to bring online gaming within the ambit of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The proposal, released for public consultation, requires all online games to register with any self-regulatory body approved by the …

INDIA’S PRISON FOOTPRINT At the Constitution Day celebrations organised by the Supreme Court in November 2022, President DroupadiMurmu shared a snippet of her journey with the audience. She reflected on her visits to prisons across India and the circumstances of those incarcerated. She highlighted that these individuals were often unaware …

State management of temples is often justified as a way of ensuring access to temples for worshippers and archakas (priests). Regulating secular activities associated with religious practice can be traced to Article 25(2)(a) of the Constitution. Temple control legislation is purportedly justified by this Article. Temple control and temple entry …

Last week, the Union Government tabled the Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022, (Bill) in the Parliament with the objective of “decriminalising” 183 offences across 42 legislations and enhancing the ease of living and doing business in India. It is a welcome move and can be viewed as an attempt to reverse …