Topic Shortlist : 2021 Polity Mains Crash Course on Polity for 2021

Greetings,

Please read the following very carefully.

1. This is a list of topics that should be covered for the upcoming Mains 2021, a few topics may be added or removed keeping the developments spanning the next month.

2. The list has been prepared after cross referencing contemporary developments over the past 1.5 years with past year papers from 2013 onwards (pattern changed in 2013)

3. The list of topics is arranged exactly as per the Mains syllabus which is divided into 8 themes as per the precise wordings of the syllabus.

4. Some themes get dedicated questions from current affairs while some themes get questions due to background developments in current affairs. They are been arranged accordingly.

5. An additional theme of Datasets is also mentioned towards the end.

6. Consolidated, crisp, and updated notes of each of these topics and the datasets shall be provided free of cost to everyone, no matter what.

7. Analysis of past year papers and methodology of deriving such questions would be uploaded on YouTube very shortly.

8. Paid classes for the Crash Course would be announced within a day or two, wherein detailed discussions on these topics and answer structures would be discussed. They will begin in November and finish by November itself.

9. Students who have studied the crash course with me last year do not need to take up paid classes as you are already aware of the broad structures and methods. The updated notes would be enough for you.
   

Theme 1 : Indian Constitution—Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments, Significant Provisions and Basic Structure

Theory Based :

1. Contributions of Major British Government Legislations on India’s Current Polity (Various Government of India Acts, Regulating Acts, and Charter Acts)

2. Preamble : Key Word Analysis & Relevance

3. Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policy, Fundamental Duties : Features and Reforms

4. Rule of Law, Procedure Established by Law, and Due Process of Law

5. Doctrine of Basic Structure : Analysis, Key Judgements, and Impact

6. Relationship between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy

Contemporary Developments :

1. Censorship, Media, and Press Rights (Cinematograph Amendment)

2. Section 66 A of the IT Act

3. Right to Privacy (IT Rules)

4. LGBTQIA+ Rights

5. Death Penalty

6. Euthanasia

7. Abortion & Surrogacy Rights

8. Anti-Trafficking Laws

9. Uniform Civil Code

10. Surveillance Policy

Theme 2 : Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States, Issues and Challenges Pertaining to the Federal Structure, Devolution of Powers and Finances up to Local Levels and Challenges Therein.

Theory Based :

1. Quasi Federalism/Unitary Form of Federalism

2. Various Doctrines on federal principles in India

3. Cooperative, Competitive, Confrontational, Comparative Federalism

4. Big States v. Small States

5. Inter State Water Disputes

6. Emergency Provisions : Review and Reforms

7. Local Self Government : Review

Contemporary Developments :

1. GNCTD Act

2. J&K Delimitation

3. Art 371 A and Art 371C

4. Assam and Naga Accords

5. Lakshwadeep Administrative Changes

6. Cooperatives

7. Reservation Policies (Maratha Reservation & 105th Constitutional Amendment Act)

Theme 3 : Separation of Powers between various organs, Dispute Redressal Mechanisms and Institutions.

Theory Based :

1. Review of Constitutional, Statutory, and Executive Provisions of Separation of Powers

2. Review of Constitutional, Statutory, and Executive Provisions of Checks & Balances

3. Mechanisms to resolve issues between organs

Theme 4 : Comparison of the Indian Constitutional Scheme with that of Other Countries.

1. US, UK, France, Japan, Russia : Comparison of Constitutional, Legislative, Executive, & Judicial Practices with respect to India

Theme 5: Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure,Functioning,Conduct of Business, Powers &Privileges and Issues Arising out of these.

Theory Based Questions with Contemporary Events as Context :

1. Parliamentary Efficiency : Overall Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis, LS, RS, Delegated Legislation

2. Presiding Officers, especially Speaker and Dy. Speaker

3. Role of State Legislative Councils

4. Analysis and Review of Parliamentary Privileges

5. Anti Defection Law

6. Select Parliamentary Procedures : Motions, Joint Sessions, Bill Passages etc.

7. Parliamentary Committees : Overall Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis, Estimates Committee, Public Accounts Committee

8. Indian Political Party System and Voter behaviour
   

Theme 6 : Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government

Theory Based Questions with Contemporary Events as Context :

1. President & Governor : Appointment, Removal, Ordinances, Veto, Pardons, and Overall Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis

2. Parliamentary v. Presidential Form v. Cabinet Form of Government

3. Issues & Reforms to existing Ministerial Structures and Processes

4. Higher Judiciary : Appointment, Removal, Jurisdiction, and related reforms

5. Lower Judiciary : Pendency, Overall Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis, All India Judicial Services, and related reforms

6. E-Judiciary : AI, Virtual Courts, Tele Law, and related reforms

7. Judicial Review v. Judicial Activism v. Judicial Outreach/Adventurism v. Judicial Legislation

8. Contempt of Court

9. Public Interest Litigations

10. Alternate Dispute Resolution

11. Tribunals : Overall Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis, Recent Law, CAT, NGT etc.

Theme 7 : Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Act

Theory Based Questions with Contemporary Events as Context :

1. Legislative Summary of RoPA

2. Election Reforms w.r.t eligibility, contesting, campaigning, pre and post poll processes, EVMs, Postal vote etc.

Theme 8 : Appointment to various Constitutional Posts, Powers,Functions and Responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies, Statutory, Regulatory and various Quasi-judicial Bodies.

Theory Based Questions with Contemporary Events as Context :

1. Overview of Types of Bodies

2. Financial Constitutional Bodies Review : CAG + FCI + GST Council

3. ECI

4. Recruitment : UPSC + SPSC

5. Vulnerable Sections : NCSC/NCST/NCBC + NCW + NHRC + NCPCR etc.

6. Legal : Attorney General + Solicitor General

7. Anti Corruption : CVC + CBI + Lokpal

8. Transparency : CIC + SIC + RTI

9. Sectoral Regulatory Agency Review : SEBI, TRAI, IRDA, etc.
   

Datasets :

1. Important SC Judgements : Landmark + Contemporary Decided + Contemporary Pending

2. Important Constitutional Amendments : Landmark + Recent

3. Statistics : Legislative + Executive + Judicial Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis

4. Case Studies : Global + National + Regional + Local on best practices

5. International, National, and Private Report Recommendations on Thematic Reforms

Thank you,

Atish Mathur