Email: sabrangind@gmail.com
Author: A Legal Researcher
Bihar: SC frowns on disproportionate punishment of opposition legislators & its democratic consequences
In a crucial case involving the summary suspension of the Bihar Legislative Council (BLC) of an RJD member (Dr. Sunil Kumar Singh), the Supreme Court, by distinguishing between "proceedings in the legislature" and "legislative decisions", and held that the latter can be subject to judicial scrutiny, especially when they affect fundamental rights. This creative interpretation of Article 212 of the Constitution also meant that the re-election to the ‘suspended post’ notified by the ECI was struck down
India at the Crossroads: The delimitation exercise and its implications for democracy
With no census having been conducted since 2021 for no explicable reason, the follow-up constitutionally mandated exercise of delimitation will be without foundation; besides, since with each delimitation exercise, the balance of power shifts, a rigid population-based approach, without reforms in fiscal and political decentralisation, risks further centralising authority in the Union government—potentially undermining the very spirit of federalism.
Catch people’s attention on pollution narrative: “Switching to public transport can lower your heart attack risk by 10%.”
Messaging and communication are key and the Indian people’s lukewarm response to spiralling air pollution is because of this: Will campaigns such as “Wearing an N95 mask reduces your PM2.5 exposure by 95%” or “Switching to public transport can lower your heart attack risk by 10%” change this making people speak out?