The conception to birth of a law is a fascinating journey in a democracy like India, where many factors shape and reshape a draft into an act of Parliament.
Despite all the disruptions and shortened sessions, the legislature of the country has an enviable record in passing laws in the last two decades. Dozens of bills have been introduced by various ministries to bring in new laws or to make significant changes to existing ones.
Many laws are mooted within the government because of various reasons—a changed economic or social situation; the need to incorporate or negate judgments of the judiciary; to fulfil promises made by the government; or to increase financial and other limits.
In their book Shaping Policy in India: Alliance, Advocacy, Activism, Rajesh Chakrabarti and Kaushiki Sanyal, who run the public policy consulting firm Sunay Policy Advisory, have written about the activism and lobbying that have birthed nine important laws of recent years. The 21st century has been an epochal era in Indian politics, when the coalition governments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh had to introduce extraordinary laws to meet the new aspirations of people.
This story is from the January 07, 2018 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 07, 2018 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BIOPIC AND BEYOND
Randeep Hooda may have proved his acting credentials with biopics, but typecast him at your own peril
Flutter of flimsy wings
Butterfly Research Centre in Bhimtal boasts 3,500 butterfly and moth specimens
SIMILAR STATES, DIFFERENT BATTLES
The Congress seems to have the edge in Telangana while in Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy are locked in a bitter battle
A RIDE TO REMEMBER
On board Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s bus as he was attacked
Winning 14 of 17 seats is my target
Anumula Revanth Reddy is on a mission to demonstrate a democratic and egalitarian facet of power and leadership.
LOTUS TAKES ROOT
Buoyed by its slowly growing acceptance among the voters in Tamil Nadu, the BJP is mounting its fiercest offensive ever
BLANK CHECK
Several factors favour an increase in the BJP’s vote share in Kerala, but whether the party can win a seat remains uncertain
CONGRESS HAS A HISTORY OF MAKING ADJUSTMENTS WITH COMMUNAL FORCES
In April 2021, as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was leading the CPI(M)’s assembly poll campaign to win a second consecutive term, a spirited debate erupted in Kerala over an epithet that party workers had bestowed on him.
POLL PLOT
Congress hopes its five guarantees’ will blunt BJP’s aggressive push
MODI'S GUARANTEES REMAIN IN SPEECHES, MY GUARANTEES ARE FULFILLED
The transformation is unmissable. The old-school mass leader Siddaramaiah has suddenly switched into the new avatar of a master strategist.