Stage reached Web
S. No. Title Stated objective
1. Restrict NREGA to country's
200 'most backward' districts
NREGA
1
Amendment
3. Nitin Gadkari said that irrigated states like numerous hurdles
Punjab and Haryana were facing a shortage of achieved significant
labour for farming operations, hence it was
thought to restrict the scheme to backward
2. Reduce labour-material ratio areas where no jobs were available.
from 60:40 to 51:49
In December 2014, the
government promulgated an
ordinance amending the LARR
Act, 2013. To replace the same,
it introduced the LARR
LARR
2 (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The Bill
Amendment
created five special categories
of land use which were to be
exempted from requiring
consent and conducting Social
Impact Assessments.
The FRDI Bill proposed to
establish a ‘Resolution
Corporation’ to monitor
financial firms, calculate stress
and take "corrective actions" in To create a framework for resolving
Reasoning provided Main opposition Points raised by opposition before links/Any
backtrack/ further
Government legislation/ Executive action
1. Corruption - Bhagwati and Panagariya did
some calculations to assert that 248 rupees
were being spent by the government to At a relatively small cost (currently 0.3% of India’s
deliver a net benefit of 50 rupees per person GDP), about 50 million households are getting
per day (they got to 50 rupees net benefit by some employment at NREGA worksites every year.
assuming that people forego minimum wage
employment to work at NREGA sites)
2. Was argued that because seldom even 50 Open letter from 28
mandays on average per household per year leading economists to The government Modi U-
A majority of NREGA workers are women, and
were not being provided, this implied that Prime Minister quietly withdrew turn for the
close to half are Dalits or Adivasis.
both demand for work and supply by state Narendra Modi the proposed better:
governments was weak. appealing him to not amendments, Changing
restrict the scheme, Research has shown that NREGA does lead to they weren't NREGA
which had despite creation of productive assets. even introduced would have
in the been a
Research also shows that corruption levels have
Parliament. mistake
steadily declined over time and battle against
results.
corruption in NREGA has helped establish new
standards of transparency in other social programs
as well. Leakages must be plugged instead of
restricting the scheme
4. Higher material ratio was to help create Increase in material component from 40% to 49%
more productive assets would lead to more corruption.
The Bill cleared
https://ww
LS but was being
w.livemint.c
looked at by aom/Politics/
joint committee
noHEydhRIE
Opposition parties of Parliament (to
Ppdkn0fAqj
Mr Modi termed the amendments as "pro- (especially Congress), which it was RN/Govt-
In
farmer" and along with meeting NDA allies (- Shiv Sena, referred by RSFebrurary
"developmental needs of the country" - 2013 Akali Dal), Anna during budget 2018, the
"Anti-poor" and pushing a corporate agenda
LARR Act stalled investment up to 20 lakh Hazare, farmers' and session). In the
SC in Indore
crore especially in rail, steel, mining and roads civil society groups meanwhile, theDevelopme
sectors. National Alliance of ordinance had to
nt Authority
People's Movements be re- v.
promulgated Shailendra
thrice. On theeffectively
eve of its next
implemente
lapse (August
The Bill was 30,
d the
Reacting to
Opposition parties India’s financial sector is bank-dominated, and introduced in the concern
(especially Trinamool bank deposits make up the dominant share of LS in the among
Congress), All India financial savings. In India, deposits in banks are Monsoon Session public, govt
Bank Employees' insured for a maximum of Rs 1 lakh by the Deposit (2017) and was withdraws
 and take "corrective actions" in To create a framework for resolving Bank Employees' insured for a maximum of Rs 1 lakh by the Deposit(2017) and was Govt
3 FRDI Bill case of a failure. It also provides bankruptcy in banks, insurance companies and Union, industry Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation, put before a Joint withdraws
for a bail-in clause (clause 52) in other financial establishments. associations such as which is now an arm of the RBI. There were Parliamentary FRDI bill in
the event of a failure or Assocham and an concerns that the Bill may not clearly lay down the
Committee for Parliament
insolvency in a bank, depositors online petition quantum of protection for deposits, or classify review. Now it following
would also have to bear part of #NoBailIn deposits separately has been backlash
the burden of resolution. withdrawn. (link
RTI for
To empower the Central The government
government to decide the The higher status and protected tenure provided to did not introduce Amendmen
tenure, salary and allowances of Information Commissioners is done to ensure their the Bill in the t Bill
the Chief Information Unlike the Election Commission, the CIC is not independence and was approved by the Rajya Sabha on Violates
Commissioner and Information a constitutional office but a statutory body National Campaign for Parliament. July 19, 2018 Constitution
Commissioners at the Centre, created under the RTI Act. Also, they perform People’s Right to (during the , Law
and the State Chief Information completely different functions, hence Information, RTI Secrecy around the amendments and the lack of Monsoon
RTI pre-legislative consultation has also been https://the
4 Commissioners. This would equivalence in status and service conditions activists, former CIC Session) even
Amendment protested. wire.in/righ
eliminate the parity they cannot be justified. This reasoning is backed Shailesh Gandhi, though it was on
ts/rti-
currently have with the Chief by the Justice Srikrishna committee which Opposition parties led the list of
activists-
Election Commissioner and made these recommendations without by Congress Former CIC Shailesh Gandhi said the move seemed business for the
dilute-law-
Election Commissioners and, consulting the CIC. to be a fall-out of the Central Information day. It was
bjp-
therefore, equivalence with a Commission’s orders to respond to RTIs about the introduced in
institutions
judge of the Supreme Court in educational qualification of PM Modi. December, 2018
matters of pay, allowances and amid protests.
To do away with the printing of
Opposition parties led
information contained in the The move would lead to segregation of people with
by Congress and Left Stung by
passport such as names of The move would help single mothers get low education and low economic status (since ECR
parties. Kerala HC Criticism,
father or legal guardian, passports made for their children without passports are availed of by Indian citizens with
issued notice to MEA MEA Does
mother, spouse, and address having to mention the father's name. educational qualifications less than 10th standard MEA announced
Orange-Jacket on a PIL filed against U-Turn on
contained in the last page of the who are seeking employment abroad)
5 Passport for the decision. Reports withdrawal of the Orange-
passport, along with changing
ECR across newspapers in proposed change Coloured
the colour of ECR passports, to
Gulf filled with Passport for
orange, on the Orange passports being easier to identify criticism from Indian Migrant
recommendations of a three- would help authorities to protect vulnerable Passports will cease to be valid address proofs
expats against the MEA Workers
member committee comprising workers abroad from exploitation. decision.
officials of MEA and WCD
The government proposed to Govt
set up a Social Media withdraws
Communication Hub under the PIL from Trinamool ‘social
Ministry of Information and Congress MLA Mahua media hub’
Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Government
Broadcasting to monitor online Government hopes to use the social media Moitra raising the plan after
Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud on July 13 warned decided to
social media data. analytical tool to gauge people's opinions question whether the SC’s
Social Media Also, proposal to have a “social that it amounted to nothing but creating a withdraw RFP the I&B
6 media analytical tool” that will about official policies. It hopes to use this government wants to
Hub "surveillance state" and "sheer intrusion into (Request For Ministry has
deploy 360 degree monitoring information to target individuals with tap the citizens’
privacy" and sought the govt’s response in two Proposal) after floated
on all social media platforms to personalised campaigns. messages on Whatsapp
weeks SC notice. another
create digital profiles of or other social media
platforms. Request to
citizens,(In the bid document, it
strengthen
said tool should be able to
“citizen
“listen” to email)
 DBT in PDS was After
Direct Benefit Transfer in PDS. Right to Food
withdrawn after Months of
The dealers will have to buy Campaign along with
the pilot stage Protest,
grain from the government at Apart from the usual reasoning behind opposition parties of
DBT in PDS due to protests, Jharkhand
market price and the same will introducing DBT, the move was ostensibly Jharkhand (A Padyatra
7 pilot of Nagri, The experiment was a complete failure. amid complete Govt
be sold to beneficiaries at aimed at removing the arbitrage incentive to was undertaken – from
Jharkhand implementation Withdraws
market price. Beneficiaries will dealers. Nagri to Ranchi,
failure by the Direct
be transferred the required various panchayat level
state Benefit
amount in their bank accounts. protests).
government.
SC extended Transfer
March 31
deadline for
Aadhaar
mandatory
link
Aadhaar linking
Unconstitutional, passed as a money bill, voluntary deadline
Judicial intervention, with mobile
but made mandatory, absence of Aadhaar number extended
petitions by activists, phones, tatkal
Link Aadhaar numbers to leads to denial of the most basic services, privacy indefinitely
Constitutional the industry body passports, bank
mobile phone numbers, concerns and issue of proportionality. The act
ity of Aadhaar Assocham had also accounts, PAN
passports, PAN etc. Also, To improve inclusion and service delivery of limited the purpose of authentication—to establish
and urged the government cards etc.
In September https://ww
8 mandatory Aadhaar linking welfare schemes (by reducing leakages and the identity of an individual in relation to the
mandatory to relax the deadline 2018, SC upheld w.livemint.c
required to avail of welfare deletions of ghost beneficiaries) receipt of a subsidy, benefit, or service incurred
Aadhaar for seeding bank the om/Politics/
schemes' benefits under Article from the Consolidated Fund of India. It begs the
linking accounts, especially constitutionality 0LTYZzCHQ
7 of the Act. question as to how services provided by private
the public sector of Aadhaar but b9X6UFsn0
banks and telephone operators fall within these
banks. struck down 9lBI/Aadhaa
categories.
Section 57, the r-verdict-
clause allowing big-data-
private entities to meets-big-
demand Aadhaar brother.ht
and within ml

Bias and favouritism factor, existing system

Currently, cadres are allocated
according to ranking in
Change of examination but now PMO
rules related wants that they be allocated
to service and post the 3 month foundation
9 cadre course based on the combined
allocation to score obtained in the CSE and
IAS the foundation course. A DoPT
probationers letter says PMO wants new
system implemented from
current year itself.
(prelims, mains, interview) ensures selection of
meritorious candidates (is gruelling enough,
requires years of prep), what is the point of having PMO
Ex and serving
the interview stage then, DMK’s MK Stalin said the Proposal on
bureaucrats, civil
order issued (by DoPT) would shatter the SC/ST Service
service aspirants, DMK
youth’s dreams of becoming IAS/IPS officers, Allocation
Provide better assessment of candidates. threatened to stage a
objective exam vs subjective foundation course, Seen as
Under the current system, probationers don’t youth protest ,
would lead to large-scale litigation by bureaucrats Move to
take the foundation course seriously. Puducherry CM V
right at the beginning of their careers, probationers Create
Narayanasamy wrote a
will be too pliant (chilling effect, won’t ask 'Loyal'
letter to minister
questions), questions over faculty expertise, been Bureaucrac
concerned
done to appoint officers of choice from the RSS in y
central services, attempt to weaken the UPSC
which is a constitutional body and to create a
sycophantic higher bureaucracy
 A batch of petitions
National were filed in the SC
Judicial Proposed an independent body challenging SC struck down
Appointments (the NJAC) which would be Composition of NJAC included the Union Law constitutionality of both Acts as http://www
Commission responsible for the appointment Minister and two eminent persons to be both Acts (Supreme Presence of executive members in the NJAC unconstitutional .prsindia.or
10
Act + the 99th and transfer of judges to higher nominated by the Prime Minister, the CJI and Court Advocates on violated the independence of the judiciary (the Fourth g/theprsblo
Constitutional judiciary (thus replacing the the Leader of Opposition of the Lok Sabha Record Association Judges case, g/?p=3591
Amendment collegium system) (SCAoRA) being the 2015 )
Act first and lead
Modi government in July 2014 petitioner)
had constituted NBWL and
nominated only one NGO -- The required number for constituion of NBWL is
Petition by Chandra
Gujarat Ecological Education five NGOs and ten eminent conservationists, Modi Stung by
Bahl Singh, a Pune
and Research Foundation -- and ecologists and environmentalists. government had Supreme
based conservationist
two experts – Professor Raman to reconstitute it Court,
in the SC challenging
Sukumar and Dr HS Singh after the SC Narendra
Constitution the reconstitution.
criticised it for Modi
of National More than 50 The govt also appointed only five states against the prima facie
11 government
Board for organisations and requirement of one representative each from 10 violating the law to
Wildlife Following this, NBWL in its very eminent individuals states and union territories. and barred the reconstitute
first meeting cleared more than had also written to
board from National
130 projects which had been NDA government Fewer number of experts in NBWL will result in less taking fresh Board for
pending for months. urging it to cancel the checks and balances. It was also pointed out that decisions. Wildlife
NBWL appointment. GEER foundation is an organisation under Gujarat
government's control and thus does not qualify as
a NGO.
A meeting was
Health Ministry sent a
held between HRD
HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar letter to the HRD
officers of the Ministry
announced that the newly Ministry within three A test in online mode would put poor and rural
Health and HRD decides
formed National Testing Agency days stating that the students at a disadvantage. It was also argued that
ministries. HRD against
12 Online NEET (NTA) would conduct the public announcement the examination calendar implied 4-5 months of
ministry agreed conducting
National Eligibility cum Entrance on the NEET was made continuous exams for students, leading to a lot of
to maintain NEET
Test (NEET) online and twice a “without formal pressure on them.
status quo, only online,
year from 2019 consultation” with
for the NEET, till twice a year
them.
2019. Opinion: It
The circular was
Guidelines threatened to violate freedom of press. isn’t
New guidelines issues by Mo withdrawn within
They were framed without any prior consultations surprising
Information and Broadcasting 24 hours with Mr
with stakeholders, no clear definition of "fake that
Guidelines on aimed to suspend the Opposition parties and Modi himself
13 To tackle menace of fake news news", no mention of any initial screening (hence - guidelines
Fake News accreditation of journalists media outcry having
undermined the basic principle of the justice on fake
against whom complaints of intervened
system that a person is innocent until proven news were
fake news had been registered. apparently given
guilty). scrapped –
media outcry
Following HRD they were
UGC
Protests by teacher minsitry's
regulation on UGC notified guidelines which UGC "advised" teachers to increase their Scarcity of teachers is being faced already due to UGC:
associations. Also, directions,
14 increased increased teaching work hours workload and offered to exempt them from cuts in UGC funding. Due to new rules, nearly one Learning To
political parties like amendments are
teaching by six hours of work per week research if they teach more every week lakh ad hoc teachers might lose their jobs. U-turn
Congress and AAP. to be undertaken
hours
which will ensure
 Following the
Opposition from
Ban on Sale of MoEFCC notified rules under stay imposed by Govt to roll
States. SC expanded an The ban was deemed to have been imposed on
Cattle for the Prevention of Cruelty to the SC, the back move
Ostensibly, to regulate cattle trade and interim stay granted by ideological grounds, it was deterimental to cattle
15 Slaughter in Animals Act on May 23, 2017 Environment to ban sale
prevent cattle theft the Madras HC into a trade and was alleged to be a dog whistle to cow
Animal banning sale of cattle for Ministry Ministry of cattle for
nationwide bar on the vigilante groups.
Markets slaughter in animal markets sought feedback slaughter
rules
from states post
Gender bias - PIL questions the statutory immunity SC asked the https://ww
provided to women, even as abettor, via Centre "what w.thehindu.
A PIL seeking that employment of Article 15(3) of the Constitution. public good" was com/news/
Centre says that adultery should Criminalising adultery is required "to protect
Adultery law section 497 of the IPC Only a man can be prosecuted, women are being served national/ad
continue as a penal offence, and safeguard the sanctity of marriage,
16 [Section 497 and section 198(2) of exempted. here, as the law ultery-not-a-
sought dismissal of a PIL keeping in mind the unique structure and
of IPC] the CrPC be struck The law also does not permit the wife to prosecute provides that no criminal-
challenging the same. culture of the Indian society."
down altogether. the offending husband, as only husbands can be offence would be offence-as-
prosecutors. Treats women akin to property of the made if the sc-strikes-
husband. husband of a down-
https://the
wire.in/heal
Tussle involving
th/188-sign-
Maneka Gandhi proposed, NITI Aayog,
Ready to Use More hygienic and practical solution, quality Corruption, natural and culturally-native foods, letter-to-
Maha first govt to do move Right to Food Ministry of WCD,
17 Therapeutic control and standardisation will be better than fortification not effective till children also have a maneka-
https://ww
from hot cooked meals to Campaign Maneka Gandhi
Foods in ICDS if produced locally by small groups daily regular diet w.thehindu.
packaged mixes for 3-6 yr olds and activists
com/news/
continues
national/ma
neka-
https://the
Right to Food Mothers won't be able to buy adequate food, not Plan to initiate wire.in/gov
Cash Cash transfer proposal reportedly based on a
Proposal to replace hot cooked Campaign, WCD necessary that money would be spent on nutrition pilot schemes ernment/go
18 Transfers in NITI Aayog report "Reforming Take Home
food with cash transfers in ICDS Minister Maneka and that cash transfers had failed in MGNREGA and was mooted by vernment-
ICDS Rations (THR) under the ICDS Scheme"
Gandhi PDS plus esp low financial literacy of women the Centre planning-
dismantle-
The Bill was Triple Talaq
passed by the Lok Ordinance:
Sabha in Another
Since triple talaq is no longer recognised, it cannot
December last Failure Of
The bill makes instant triple be criminalised. The bill has provisions for custody
Muslim year but was Govt To
talaq (talaq-e-biddat) in any and spousal support which relate to a divorce, not
Women Reason cited by government is that the stalled in the
form — spoken, in writing or by a continuing marriage. Non-bailable imprisonment https://indi
(Protection of practice of triple talaq continues unabated Opposition parties - Upper House
19 electronic means such as email, of 3 years for triple talaq is excessive, arbitrary, anexpress.c
Rights on even after being annulled by the SC due to Congress, AIMPLB. after Opposition
SMS and instant messengers irrational, and thus violative of Article 14. Also, any om/article/i
Marriage) Bill, absence of legal framework. parties
illegal and void, with up to three person could make a complaint against the ndia/triple-
2017 demanded that it
years in jail for the husband offending husband, which leads to the possibility of talaq-bill-
be sent to a
false complaints. passed-in-
Select
lok-sabha-
Committee. In
5512395/
September,
Court judgements
A National Green Tribunal order A Supreme Court
had banned all protests on the Petition filed by MKSS calls the ban violative of bench of Justice
historic Jantar Mantar Road in Article 19(1)(b) of the Constitution in so much as it AK Sikri and
There Can’t
October 2017, saying such curtails the fundamental right to peaceful Justice Ashok
Be A
activities violate environmental Organisations like the assembly. Bhushan ruled
Violation of environmental laws and that duty Blanket Ban
laws. Mazdoor Kisan Shakti that there cannot
Ban on protests at Boat Club of the state was to protect people from noise On Protest
Blanket ban Sangathan, Indian Ex- be a blanket ban
was imposed several years ago pollution (ordered the New Delhi Municipal In Central
1 on protests in Servicemen Movement on protests in
Council (NDMC) to remove all make-shift Delhi: SC
1 on protests in The Delhi police were Servicemen Movement on protests in
Council (NDMC) to remove all make-shift Delhi: SC
Central Delhi repeatedly promulgating and other groups had Central Delhi
structures made by protestors along the Through such bans and police orders, citizens are Allows
prohibitory orders under appealed to the SC for (Jantar Mantar
stretch) being pushed away from highly visible places that Peaceful
section 144, CrPC by which, help. and Boat Club). It
were near the Parliament and government offices. Protests In
virtually, the entire Central directed the
The Area
Delhi area is declared a Delhi Police
prohibited area for holding any Commissioner to
public meeting, dharna or prepare “proper
Parliament PRS Bill
The judgment reasoned that many false cases There is no precise data on the scale and extent to passed the The Track -
March 2018 Supreme Court
are foisted on innocent persons under the which the Act has been misused by SC/ST SC/ST SC/ST
judgement pertaining to protect
1989 Act. employees. (Prevention (Prevention
innocent officers and
Protests by Dalit of Atrocities)
The amendments of
employees in government and
groups (violence on provide that no
private sectors from the misuse nd
April 2 left 11 preliminary
of the Act (especially “when no
protestors dead), also enquiry will be
prima facie case is made out or The large numbers of acquittals are the result of https://ww
govt under pressure required for
the case is patently false or police apathy, the social and the economic might of w.news18.c
from opposition and registration of an
mala fide”). For this, the court the accused and the dependence of SC/STs on om/news/in
SC/ST coalition partners FIR against any
2 ordered that a Deputy those accused dia/parliam
Atrocities Act ahead of proposed person under the
Superintendent of Police should The judgement also used the large number of ent-passes-
nationwide protests Act; and the
conduct a “preliminary inquiry” acquittals under the Act to imply proliferation bill-to-
later in August and a investigating
into every complaint of atrocity of false cases. restore-
Bharat Bandh officer will not
The amendments
committed against an SC/ST original-scst-
proposed by the All include a timeline
member. Subsequently, the atrocity-law-
India Ambedkar of two months
arrest of the accused persons Court was dealing with a criminal appeal against a 1839521.ht
Mahasabha in August for completing
should be approved by the Bombay HC judgement and exercised judicial ml
the investigations
Senior Superintendent of Police overreach
and filing a
concerned.
chargesheet after
registering the