Q. Consider the following statements on ‘the national commission to review the working of the constitution’:
- The Commission was headed by M.N. Venkatachaliah, the former Chief Justice of India.
- It recommended to expand Article 19 and Article 21-A.
- Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism should be considered as independent religions from Hinduism.
- A new Directive Principle on Population Control should be added.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer:
1, 2, 3 & 4
Notes:
- The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC) was set up by a resolution of the Government of India in 2000, and was asked to submit its recommendations within one year. The 11-member Commission was headed by M.N. Venkatachaliah, the former Chief Justice of India. Commission submitted its report in 2002.
- Some of its recommendations are:
- Article 19 should be expanded to expressly include "the freedom of the press and other media, etc." Article 21-A, the right to education, should be expanded.
- The maximum length for preventive detention should be six months; and
- Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism should be considered as independent religions from Hinduism, and the clauses combining them under Article 25 should be removed.
- During the operation of a national emergency, the enforcement of the Fundamental Rights under Articles 17, 23, 24, 25, and 32, as well as those under Articles 20 and 21, will not be suspended.
- Part IV of the Constitution's heading should be changed to 'Directive Principles of State Policy and Action.' A new Directive Principle on Population Control should be added to the list.
- Every five years, an independent National Education Commission should be established.
- To promote inter-religious harmony and social solidarity, an Inter-Faith Commission should be constituted.
- The Justice Verma Committee's suggestions on the operationalization of Fundamental Duties should be adopted as soon as possible.
- Article 51-A should add the responsibility to vote in elections, participate actively in the democratic process of governance and pay taxes and to promote a sense of family values and responsible parenting in matters of children's education, physical, and moral well-being.
- Aappropriate framework for regulating political parties would need to be put in place before state funding could be considered.
- All individuals who defect (individually or in groups) from the party or alliance of parties on whose ticket they were elected must renounce their parliamentary or assembly seats. A vote cast by a defector to overthrow a government should be considered void. The Election Commission, rather than the Speaker or Chairman of the House concerned, should have the authority to determine on questions of defection disqualification.
- The Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule should cover disaster and emergency management.
- In the event of a political breakdown in a state, the state should be given an opportunity to explain its position and correct the situation before invoking Article 356, to the extent possible.