The cooperative federalism of India is in jeopardy because several state governments have withdrawn their general consent to the CBI.
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Mains Answer Writing Latest Questions
Bhavesh singhBegginer
Outlining the many uses for money, discuss its advantages over other kinds of assets.(Answer in 200 words)
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Bhavesh singhBegginer
Although the Nagara and Dravida styles of temple building share many similarities, they also diverge greatly from one another. (Answer in 200 words)
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This answer was edited.
Bhavesh singhBegginer
Analyze the press’s contribution to the Indian national movement’s early stages. Mention the difficulties the Indian press encountered at the time as well. (Answer in 200 words)
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Answer: Since the publication of the first printed newspaper, the Bengal Gazette in 1780, the Indian nationalists who were attracted to modern civil liberties inspired by the French Revolution, realized the role of an independent press. In 1824 itself, Raja Rammohan Roy had protested against a regulRead more
Answer: Since the publication of the first printed newspaper, the Bengal Gazette in 1780, the Indian nationalists who were attracted to modern civil liberties inspired by the French Revolution, realized the role of an independent press. In 1824 itself, Raja Rammohan Roy had protested against a regulation restricting the freedom of the press. Understanding this significance, many newspapers in various parts of India were started. This realization of the potential and conscious effort to develop and spread the press played a critical role in the early phase of the freedom struggle of India in the following manner:
- Political propaganda and education: Political work of the Indian National Congress during its initial years was greatly helped by the press, as it did not have its own organization structure then. Formation and propagation of nationalist ideology was carried out through the press.
- Preparation of masses: The national movement between the period of 1870 and 1918 had not yet resorted to mass agitation and the political work did not consist of active mobilization of people in mass struggles. The press was the chief instrument in arousing, training, mobilizing and consolidating nationalist public opinion.
- Enhancing the geographical spread of the freedom struggle: The influence of the press was not confined to the large cities and the towns. It carried the messages of leaders and nationalists to the far reaches of the country and library movements sprang up all over the country.
- Opposition to the government: The press played an institutional role of opposition to the government by criticizing the activities of the government and worked on the motto of “oppose, oppose, oppose”. Newspapers such as Amrit Bazar Patrika, Kesari, Mahratta etc. played an exemplary role in this regard.
However, arousing political consciousness, inculcating nationalism, exposing colonial rule, and ‘preaching disloyalty’ were no easy tasks and the press faced many challenges, such as:
- Sedition law: The Sedition clause under Section 124A and other sections like 153A and 565 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) had stringent provisions, even imprisonment for life, with an attempt to silence the newspapers which were critical of the government. Bal Gangadhar Tilak faced three trials in cases related to sedition and was imprisoned twice.
- The Vernacular Press Act, 1878: It was passed by the colonial government to suppress the voice of the non-English newspapers, which were critical of the government after the famine of Bengal. Under this Act, press equipments were also seized.
- Other draconian legislations: In the early 1900s as the national movement gathered steam, the colonial government brought in many draconian acts like the Prevention of Seditious Meetings Act of 1911, Press Act of 1910, and Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1908 to suppress the voice of the Indian press. The Press Act of 1910, which brought over 1,000 newspapers under prosecution, made the Raj’s pockets heavier by Rs. 5 lakhs in form of securities and forfeitures.
Despite these challenges, the Indian press found ingenious ways to survive and thrive. The Amrit Bazar Patrika turned into an English publication overnight to avoid censorship under the Vernacular Press Act. Also, staunch defence of the freedom of the press was undertaken by the national leaders. Recognizing the significance of the freedom of the press in a democracy, it is now a fundamental right under the Constitution of India.
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Bhavesh singhBegginer
Consider Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s contribution to the Indian liberation movement. (Answer in 200 words)
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Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was a determined leader in India's fight for freedom from British rule. Bose had a different thinking than other prominent leaders. He believed that battles cannot be eventually won only by non-violent means, and therefore armed struggle was necessary to achieve freedom.Read more
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was a determined leader in India’s fight for freedom from British rule. Bose had a different thinking than other prominent leaders. He believed that battles cannot be eventually won only by non-violent means, and therefore armed struggle was necessary to achieve freedom.
Bose became a leader in the Indian National Congress and later formed the Forward Bloc, which aimed to unite all anti-British forces. During world war 2 he sought support from Germany and Japan, believing that Britain’s enemies can become India’s allies in the freedom struggle.
In 1943, Bose took charge of the Indian National Army, which comprised of soldiers who had been prisoners of war. He led the INA in several battles against the British. Many Indians were inspired to join the cause by his call, “Give me blood and I shall give you freedom”.
Despite the defeat of the Indian National Congress, his efforts had a significant impact among people of India and on the British Authority. Indians were reunited, as the nationalist sentiments heightened within them and the British authority was pressurized. People of India started to show their willingness to fight for freedom of their country, by any means possible. These incidents contributed significantly to the Independence of India in 1947.
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Bhavesh singhBegginer
Describe how the East India Company’s ties to the British government changed between 1765 and 1833.(Answer in 200 words)
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Answer: In the period of dual government i.e., 1765-1772, the Indian officials under the overall control of the British governor and British officials had 'responsibility but no power' while the company officials had 'power but no responsibility'. This presented problems of exploitation of powersRead more
Answer: In the period of dual government i.e., 1765-1772, the Indian officials under the overall control of the British governor and British officials had ‘responsibility but no power’ while the company officials had ‘power but no responsibility’. This presented problems of exploitation of powers & rampant corruption and also attracted the jealousy of other sections of British society, especially politicians and merchants who wanted to be a part of the huge profit being generated in India. The question of the nature of relations between the East India Company (EIC) and its possessions with the government in Britain was therefore subsequently settled through incremental acts & regulations, such as: Regulating Act, 1773:
- It recognised, for the first time, the political and administrative functions of the Company.
- It strengthened the control of the British Government over the Company by requiring the Court of Directors (governing body of the Company) to report on its revenue, civil, and military affairs in India.
- The Governor of Bengal was made the Governor-General of Bengal and the governors of Madras and Bombay were made subordinate to him.
- It prohibited the servants of the Company from engaging in any private trade or accepting presents or bribes from the natives.
Pitt’s India Act, 1784:
- It distinguished between the commercial and political functions of the Company and for the first time the company’s territories in India were identified as British possessions.
- It allowed the Court of Directors (EIC representative) to manage the commercial affairs but created a new body called Board of Control (represented by the British government) to manage the political affairs. Thus, it established a system of double government or Dual Control.
- It empowered the Board of Control to supervise and direct all operations of the civil and military government or revenues of the British possessions in India.
Charter Act, 1793:
- It was aimed at reviewing the Charter granted to EIC by the Regulating Act of 1773.
- It continued the trade monopoly of EIC for another 20 years, however, the Company was asked to pay 5 lakh pounds annually from the Indian revenues to the British government (after paying its necessary expenses).
- It separated revenue administration and judicial functions of the Company and hence led to the disappearance of Maal Adalats (revenue courts).
- Senior officials of the Company were debarred from leaving India without permission.
- It laid down that the members of the Board of Control and their staff were to be paid out of the Indian revenues. This practice continued till 1919 and was one of the major reasons behind the drain of wealth.
Charter Act, 1813: The company’s rule was extended to another 20 years. However, their trade monopoly was ended except for the trade in tea, opium, and with China. Charter Act, 1813:
- This Act was the final step towards centralization of India’s administration.
- It ended all commercial activities of the EIC including monopoly over trade with China and in tea.
- The post of the Governor-General of India was created and he was entrusted with legislative power over the entire British India. All revenues were raised under his authority and he had complete control over the expenditure too. Now, the power to superintend, control and direct all civil and military affairs of the Company was under him.
Thus, various acts of the Parliament completely subordinated the company and its Indian administration to the British Government. This allowed the British to create a new system of administration to serve their purposes.
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Answer: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating police agency in India. It is not only a premier anti-corruption investigative agency but also has experience of handling high profile conventional crimes, economic offences, banking frauds and frauds with international lRead more
Answer: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating police agency in India. It is not only a premier anti-corruption investigative agency but also has experience of handling high profile conventional crimes, economic offences, banking frauds and frauds with international linkages. The CBI is governed by The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE) Act, 1946, and it must mandatorily obtain the consent of the state government concerned before beginning to investigate a crime in a state. The consent of the state government can be case-specific or general. General consent is usually given by states to help the CBI in seamless investigation of cases of corruption against central government employees in their states. This is consent by default, in the absence of which, the CBI would have to apply to the state government, in every case, and before taking even small actions. Traditionally, almost all states have given the CBI general consent. However, currently nine states have withdrawn consent to the CBI on the grounds that the CBI is used for political interests and vendetta. This tussle between the CBI and States has created an impasse as around 150 requests for sanction to investigate by the CBI are pending with such state governments since 2018. The Supreme Court has referred to the situation as ‘undesirable’. It has been argued that this also threatens the spirit of cooperative federalism in India in the following manner:
In 2013, the CBI came under harsh criticism by one of the Supreme Court judges, who referred to it as a “caged parrot” and “its master’s voice” due to political interference in the CBI inquiry on the allocation of coalfield licences. It has been argued that when different political parties form governments at the Center and states, often their interests don’t align and the CBI is used as a political tool in such instances. Therefore, the concerns of states governments also need to be looked into along with ensuring that the CBI conducts all its investigations in a free, fair and impartial manner as per the law. Following steps can be taken in this regard:
This federal impasse is a worrying development. Strong federal agencies are in national interest because big crimes often straddle state and national borders and state agencies may not have resources or jurisdiction to thwart such offenses. Therefore, it would be in India’s interest to protect CBI from political influence and interference.
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