Constitutional Government & Democracy in India

By Prof. Amitabha Ray | St. Xavier's College (Autonomous), Kolkata

Learners enrolled: 2583

This course acquaints students with the constitutional design of state structures and institutions, and their actual working over time. The Indian Constitution accommodates conflicting impulses (of liberty and justice, territorial decentralization and a strong union, for instance) within itself. The course traces the embodiment of some of these conflicts in constitutional provisions, and shows how these have played out in political practice. It further encourages a study of state institutions in their mutual interaction, and in interaction with the larger extra-constitutional environment.

Summary

Course Status :	Completed
Course Type :	Core
Duration :	12 weeks
Category :	Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit Points :	4
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	05 Jul 2021
End Date :	24 Sep 2021
Enrollment Ends :	31 Aug 2021
Exam Date :

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Course layout

Unit 1: The Constituent Assembly & The Constitution Of India
1. Historical Context of Constituent Assembly
2. Compositions & Functions of Constituent Assembly
3. Critical Evaluation of Constituent Assembly
4. Features of Indian Constitution
5. Preamble to the Constitution of India
6. Introduction to Fundamental Rights
7. Right to Equality
8. Right to Freedom
9. Constitutional Position of Some Democratic Rights
10. Right Against Exploitation
11. Right to Freedom of Religion
12. Right To Constitutional Remedies
13. Directive Principles

Unit 2: Organs Of The Government
14. The President of India
15. Powers and Functions of President of India
16. Emergency Powers and the Position of the President
17. Union Council of Ministers
18. Prime Minister
19. The Rajya Sabha
20. The Lok Sabha
21. Relation between Lok Sabha & Rayja Sabha
22. Speaker
23. Legislative Procedures of the Parliament
24. Parliamentary Committees
25. The Structure and Organization of the Judiciary & the High Court
26. The Supreme Court
27. Role of The Supreme Court
28. Judicial Activism in India
29. Basic Structure Doctrine & PIL

Unit 3: Federalism & Decentralization
30. Centre-State Legislative Relations
31. Centre-State Administrative Relations
32. Centre-State Financial Relations
33. The 5th & 6th Schedules
34. Municipality-1 ( History of Indian Municipality)
35. Municipality-2 (Organization & Functions)
36. Panchayat---1 ( Idea of Panchayat)
37. Organization and Powers of Panchayats in India

Books and references

1. Durga Das Basu --- Introduction to the Constitution of India, 23rd Edition (Gurgaon; LexisNexis, 2018).

2. J.C.Johari -- The Constitution of India: A Politico-Legal Study (Greater Noida: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2013).

3. Himangshu Roy and M.P.Singh – Indian Political System, 4th Edition (Bengalaru; Pearson Education, 2018)

4. Vidya Bhushan & Vishnoo Bhagwan--- Indian Administration (S. Chand, 2011)

5. S.R.Maheswari --- Indian Administration (Orient Blackswan, 2001)

6. Dr. A.Avasthi & A.P. Avasthi --- Indian Administration (L.N. Agarwal Educational Publishing, 2017).

7. B. L. Fadia --- Indian Government and Politics (Sahitya a. Bhawan, 13th Revised Edition, 2017).

8. P.M.Bakshi – The Constitution of India (Prayagraj, UP; a. Universal Law Publishing, January, 2018)

Instructor bio

Amitabha Ray Photo.jpg Amitabha Ray is a Master of Political Science from the University of Calcutta. He has over thirty years of teaching experience at undergraduate level in Gurudas College, Kolkata. He has seven years of teaching experience at Post Graduate level in Kalyani University. He has also remained the Guest lecturer of Rabindra Bharati University for several years. Amitaha Ray has to his credit several publications in English as well as in Bangla on Politics and Society. Amitabha Ray has participated in many national and international seminars. He has also been the Resource Person for the development of E-content material for undergraduate courses for Political Science for NME-ICT projects. He also has been the recourse person for Online Post graduate Political Science courses for Netaji Subhas Open University.