Second Edition

Indian
Politics
Constitutional Foundations and
Institutional Functioning

M.P. Singh • Rekha Saxena

INDIAN POLITICS
Constitutional Foundations
and Institutional Functioning

SECOND EDITION

M.P. Singh
Presently, Honorary Senior Fellow
Centre for Multilevel Federalism
Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi
Former Professor
Department of Political Science
University of Delhi

Rekha Saxena
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
University of Delhi

New Delhi-110001
2011
INDIAN POLITICS: Constitutional Foundations and Institutional Functioning
Second Edition
M.P. Singh and Rekha Saxena

© 2011 by PHI Learning Private Limited, New Delhi. All rights reserved. No part of
this book may be reproduced in any form, by mimeograph or any other means,
without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN-978-81-203-4447-1

The export rights of this book are vested solely with the publisher.

Third Printing (Second Edition) . . . . . . October, 2011

Published by Asoke K. Ghosh, PHI Learning Private Limited, M-97,

Connaught Circus, New Delhi-110001 and Printed by Mudrak, 30-A, Patparganj,
Delhi-110091.
 Dedicated
to
Our Students
 Contents

Preface xi
Preface to the First Edition xiii
List of Cases xv

1. INDIAN MODEL OF CONSTITUTIONALISM: FROM

QUASI-FEDERAL, FEDERAL TO QUASI-CONFEDERAL 1–16
Introduction 1
The Constitutional Genealogy 1
The Indian Constitutional Theory 3
Rule of Law 3
The Broader Model of Democratic Governance 7
Levels of Democratic Architecture and the Indian Praxis 9
References 15

2. THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION AND

ITS OPERATIONALIZATION 17–37
Introduction 17
Fundamental Constitutional Principles and Philosophy 24
Evaluation 27
Reservation Policy 30
Poverty Alleviation Policy 33
References 36

3. A MULTICULTURAL-SECULAR AND DEMOCRATIC-

DEVELOPMENTAL STATE IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD 38–95
Introduction 38
Sovereign Democratic Republicanism 40
Multicultural-Secularism 44
Democratic Developmentalism 52
Democratic Dimension 55

v
vi Contents

Class/Social Basis of State 63

Nation-State and Nationalities 65
Gender and the State 68
Ethnicity and State 72
Historical Power Structure 73
Political Liberalism and the State 74
Business Liberalism and the State 78
Globalization and the State 83
References 88

4. PARLIAMENT: GULLIVER IN THE LAND OF LILLIPUTS? 96–122

Introduction 96
Parliament and Politics of Coalition 104
Parliamentary Committees 107
Parliamentary Privileges 109
Whither Parliament? 114
Parliamentary Reforms: National Commission for Review of
the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC) Report-2002 115
Parliamentary Procedures 116
Strengthening the Committee System 116
Parliament’s Relation with the Executive 117
Parliament’s Relation with Mass Media and Public 118
Conclusion 118
References 119

5. UNION EXECUTIVE: A CABINET OR A CABAL? 123–145

Introduction 123
Federal Premiership Style 132
The Executive under Coalition Governments 135
Three Basic Problems of Executive Governance 137
All India Services 139
Party System 140
Conclusion 142
References 143

6. JUDICIARY: THE BATTLE OF BOOKS AND BEYOND 146–165

Crucible of Constitutional Democracy 146
Historical Background 147
The Structure 148
Jurisdiction and Judicial Review 151
First Phase of Evolution (1950–1966) 154
Second Phase of Evolution (1967–1972) 154
Third Phase of Evolution (1973–1979) 155
Fourth Phase of Evolution (1980–to date) 157
Judicial Activism 158
References 162
 Contents vii
7. TOWARDS GREATER FEDERALIZATION 166–195
Introduction 166
Historical Background 166
The Federal Design 167
An Asymmetrical Federalism? 169
Union-state Relations 171
Legislative Relations 171
Administrative Relations 172
Fiscal and Economic Federalism 174
Intergovernmental Relations 178
Regional Pressures 181
Local Government: The Third Tier of the Federal Structure? 184
Administration 185
The Party System and Coalition Governments 186
Rajya Sabha 188
Judicial Interpretation 189
Prospects 190
Reformist Discourse for a Better Federal Political Equilibrium 190
References 193

8. STATE GOVERNMENTS AND REGIONAL POLITICS 196–220

Introduction 196
Geographical and Cultural Regions 197
Structure and Working of State Governments 199
Patterns and Trends in State Politics 207
Creation of Smaller States in India 209
State-Society Interface in State Politics 212
New Frontiers of State Politics 215
Conclusion 218
References 218

9. LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT—THE THIRD TIER OF

THE FEDERAL STRUCTURE—AN UNEXPLORED
INTERNAL FRONTIER? 221–229
Introduction 221
History 221
Urban-Rural Variations 222
Two Perspectives on People’s Power 224
Post-Independence Trajectory 224
Post-Constitutional Amendments Scenario 226
A Long Way to Go 228
References 228
viii Contents

10. BUREAUCRACY: THE PERMANENT GOVERNMENT? 230–247

History 230
Tradition 231
Class-Bias 234
Parliamentary/Ministerial Control of Bureaucracy 235
Changing Role of Administration: Challenges
Since 1947 and the 1990s 238
Administrative Reforms 242
References 245

11. ELECTIONS: GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS

FOR UNCERTAIN VERDICTS? 248–277
Constitutional and Legal Framework of Elections 248
Political Consequences of Electoral Laws and
Forms of Party Systems and Government 249
Phases/Models of Electoral Mobilization 251
Phases of Politicization 252
The Models of Electioneering and Concomitant
Party Systems and Prime Ministerial Styles 262
Determinants of Voting Behaviour 264
Electoral Reforms 268
References 271

12. PARTY SYSTEM: A CONFIGURATION

WITHOUT A SYSTEM? 278–317
Introduction 278
Phases of Party System Evolution 279
Parties and Party Families 286
The Congress Family 287
The Sangh Parivar 288
The Janata Parivar 290
Bahujan Samaj Party 291
The Left Wing/The Vampaksha 293
Regional Parties 295
Ideological Spectrum of the Party System 297
Adaptation of Party System to Society 303
State Party Systems 304
Impact of Party System on Democracy 305
Prospects 308
An Example India May Emulate 311
References 313
 Contents ix
13. CIVIL SOCIETY: GOING THROUGH
THE PROCESS OF ‘CIVILIANIZATION’? 318–354
Introduction 318
Conceptual Omnibus of Civil Society 319
Social Movements 325
Peasant/Farmers’ Movements and Dalit Movements 327
Naxalite Movements 329
Trade Union Movements 331
New Social Movements 333
Feminism 335
Environmentalism/Ecologism 339
Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) 343
The New Market Economy 345
The Mass Media 347
References 349

Epilogue: India’s Tryst with Democracy, Development

and Nation-State 355–364
Name Index 365–370
Subject Index 371–376
 Preface

The Second Edition of Indian Politics is the outcome of the encouraging

feedback received from the students and teachers alike. In this edition,
several new sections are added in the chapters mentioned below and a
new chapter on Local Self Government is included. We have also updated
the data wherever found necessary.
The following additions have been done in the second edition:
A new chapter (Chapter 9) on Local Self-Government, the Third Tier
of the Federal Structure: An Unexplored Internal Frontier?
New sections have been added to the following chapters:
Chapter 3: Sovereign Democratic Republicanism, Democratic
Developmentalism, Class/Social Basis of State.
Chapter 7: Asymmetrical Federation, Reformist Discourse for a Better
Federal Political Equilibrium.
Chapter 12: Adaptation of Party System to Society, State Party Systems
and the Impact of Party System on Democracy.
Chapter 13: Social Movements.
M.P. Singh is thankful to Tanushree and Nishant for their help in the
preparation of the manuscript of this edition. Rekha Saxena is indebted to
Amita, Shashank and Rishabh who assisted in the typing and carrying out
corrections in the soft copy. The task of publishing the Second Edition was
made much enjoyable and easier with the help of the editorial and production
teams of PHI Learning with whom we interacted, especially, K.C. Devasia,
Babita Misra and Shivendu B. Pandey, and Pankaj Manohar. We wish to
put on record their care and cooperation in finalizing and bringing out the
Second Edition.
It is hoped that this updated edition will serve the interests of a wider
section of readers. While preparing the indexes, we have avoided replicating
the table of contents and references, that is, the terms and names already
there are not included in the indexes.
M.P. Singh
xi Rekha Saxena
 Indian Politics: Constitutional
Foundations And Institutional
Functioning

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Author : SINGH, M. P.,

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SAXENA, REKHA

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