Revisiting the Constituent Assembly proceedings of 26th November 1949

73 years ago on this day, India adopted its Constitution. The Constitution was a product of years of hard work and sweat of the members of the constituent assembly, who debated and discussed every provision of the draft Constitution and thereafter gave India its own document of governance. This was the final break from our...

Indian or Canadian? Understanding India’s law on citizenship, in light of Bollywood Star Akshay Kumar’s citizenship row

It has been rightly said that citizenship is the chance to make a difference to the place where you belong. Being citizen of a country entitles an individual to several privileges and rights, which she/he can exercise to contribute to the nation’s building. For instance, in India only citizens have freedom of speech and expression...

The Sabarimala Verdict: Praise and Criticism

The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, this Friday passed a verdict which has been hailed as a judgment in the right direction contributing significantly to the jurisprudence related to equality and dignity in India. The Court by a 4:1 majority struck down the prohibition on women from entering the Sabarimala temple. The judgment running over...

[Part I] Fundamental? Constitutional? Statutory? Understanding the nature of the Right to Vote in India

[In this two part post series, I shall be discussing the nature of the Right to Vote in India. In this part I shall provide an overview of the nature of rights in India and where does the Right to Vote fit.] Elections are extremely important for any democracy as they allow the voters an...