Overview: Focuses on the structure of government and constitutional provisions beyond fundamental rights. Getting to Learn more about Constitutional Law II

Objectives: Study the distribution of powers, functioning of Parliament and Executive, emergency provisions, and constitutional amendment process.

Outcomes: Students will know how law-making works (Art. 107-111), the President’s role (Art. 52-78), Centre-State relations (Union vs State lists, Art. 246), and emergency powers (Part XVIII). They will analyze a constitutional amendment case or a centre-state dispute.

Syllabus (Topics) – CCSU:

1. Parliament: Structure (Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha), legislative process (Art. 107: Money Bills, ordinary bills), parliamentary privileges.
2. Executive – President: Election, powers (assents, ordinances, emergency proclamations).
3. Prime Minister/Cabinet: Role of PM; “real head” doctrine (compare President vs PM in practice).
4. Legislative Distribution: Union, State, Concurrent lists (Seventh Schedule). Doctrine of Pith and Substance and Colourable Legislation in case of overlapping laws. Territorial nexus (ratione loci) concept for extra-territorial legislation.
5. Emergency Provisions: Art. 352 (National Emergency), Art. 356 (President’s Rule in states), Art. 360 (Financial Emergency); conditions, effects, judicial review (S.R. Bommai on 356).
6. Judiciary: Composition of Supreme Court (Art. 124), original vs appellate jurisdiction, advisory jurisdiction (Art. 143). Appointment of judges (collegium, though a newer convention).
7. Constitutional Amendments: Process under Art. 368, limitations (50% states, special states), basic structure reaffirmed (mention Keshavananda).
8. Relations: Although Centre-State relations are often separate, here mention legislative relations (Art. 263: Inter-state councils) and cooperative federalism references.

Recommended Texts: Listed in Sem I (Jain, Pandey, etc.), plus:

• Chander Pal (ed.), Centre-State Relations.
• The Constitution (Bare Act with short commentary).
• Key cases: S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (President’s Rule constraints), Minerva Mills v. UOI (amendment limits), Indira Nehru v. Raj Narain (election amendment).