Constitutional Questions in India (The President, Parliament and the States)

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Description
This is a collection of some of my articles on constitutional issues in the last hectic decade, which witnessed the rise and fall of governments at the centre in  the manner made familiar by the states. It contains references to enable further research in areas explored here. I am confident of better results than what I  have accomplished; for, these articles were addressed to immediate crises, though the issues raised were of far reaching consequences. In the nature of things they are not definitive studies on the topic. I am indebted to the editors of the journals in which they appeared. C.R. Irani, editor-in-chief of the The  Statesman and Mr. N. Ram editor of Frontline deserve particular mention.  This year it will be thirty nine years since I began writing a column in Indian  Express, then edited by that prince among men Mr. Frank Moraes. It has been a most rewarding experience.
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Contents
Introduction
Section I - The President
1.     The Options When a Government Loses its Majority
2.     When Can a Budget be Deferred and When Should Parliament be Dissolved
3.     Dissolution of the Lok Sabha and Adoption of the Budget
4.     A President's Moves for Constitutional Amendment
5.     The President and the Governors
6.     British Conventions and the Indian Constitution
7.     Codifying the Conventions
8.     The President and Ordinances
9.     The President's Powers and the Hawala Case
10.   Options in a   Hung Lok Sabha
11.   Appointment of a Prime Minister: President Shankar Dayal Sharma's Lapse
12.  When a Prime Minister Resigns: Deve Gowda's Resignation
13.   President S.D. Sharma's Conclave
14.   Appointing a Prime Minister
15.   Selecting a Prime Minister: 1969-1999
Section II - Parliament
16.   Dissolution of the Lok Sabha
17.   Dissolution on Prime Minister's or Cabinet's Advice?
18.   An Irregular Dissolution
19.   The Prime Minister in the Rajya Sabha
20.   Rajya Sabha: Clog or Rubber Stamp?
21.   'Strangers' in the Rajya Sabha
22.   Parliament in Peril
23.   Inquiries by Parliamentary Committees
24.   The Speaker
25.   Parliamentary Privileges
26.   Press Leaks and Parliamentary Privileges
27.   Defections (1967-1997)
28.   Expulsions and the Law on Defections
29.   The Speaker on the Law of Defection
30.   Resignation of Disqualified Ministers
31.   The Sub Judice Rule:Throttling Parliament
32.   President, Prime Minister and Parliament
33.   Discussing the Conduct of the President or Governor
34.   Bribing Legislators During the Raj
35.   Bribery and MPs
36.   Bribes in Parliament:A Shocking Ruling by the Supreme Court
Section III - The State
37.   The Governor
38.   Dismissing Governors
39.   Appointment of a Chief Minister
40.   Chief Minister : An Endangered Species?
41.   The States and Lok Sabha Polls
42.   The President's Rule
43.   The President and the Bommai Case
44.   The Centre and Law and Order in the States: Article 355
45.   Parliament and Law and Order in the States
46.   The Centres Fact-finding Teams in the States
47.   The Army and Law and Order
48.   The Governor's Message to the Assembly and the Speaker
49.   Renewing President's Rule
50.   The High Court's Judgement on Renewal of President's Rule
51.   Defections, Speaker and the Governor
52.   Dismissing a Chief Minister: The UP Case
53.   Dismissing a Chief Minister: The Gujarat Case
54.   The States and Foreign Relations
55.   States and Education
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Author Details
A.G. Noorani  is an advocate, Supreme Court of India and a leading constitutional expert.
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