Governance
15 study notes for Governance, mapped to the official UPSC syllabus.
Study notes
National Development CouncilThe National Development Council was India's top non-constitutional forum linking the Centre and states to approve and review the Five-Year Plans.Cooperative and Competitive Federalism under NITI AayogHow NITI Aayog operationalises cooperative federalism through the Governing Council and competitive federalism via state performance indices.Role of Regional Parties in Indian PoliticsRegional parties shape Indian coalition politics, rooted in linguism, state reorganisation, and the post-1989 need for national parties to form alliances.Right to Information Act, 2005The RTI Act, 2005 grants citizens a legal right to access information from public authorities, enforced by Central and State Information Commissions.Erstwhile Planning Commission: Functions, Composition and EvaluationHow the erstwhile Planning Commission was composed, what it did, and why it was criticised and replaced by NITI Aayog in 2015.NITI Aayog: Establishment, Composition, Objectives and FunctionsNITI Aayog's establishment, composition, objectives and functions — how India's premier policy think tank replaced the Planning Commission in 2015.Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): Objectives, Funding Pattern, Implementation and ChallengesJal Jeevan Mission aims to provide a functional household tap connection to every rural household. A complete study note on its objectives, funding pattern, institutional architecture, the crucial coverage-versus-functionality distinction, and the challenges that decide whether taps actually deliver water.Lokpal and Lokayuktas: Background and Global Ombudsman ComparisonsLokpal background traced from the 1966 ARC report through ten failed bills to the 2013 Act, with global Ombudsman models compared for UPSC prep.Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013: Features and CriticismsLokpal Act 2013 created a central anti-corruption ombudsman and mandated state Lokayuktas — composition, CBI reforms, and key criticisms explained.National Integration Council (NIC)What the National Integration Council is, why it is a non-statutory forum unlike the Inter-State Council, and the 1994 Babri Masjid contempt case tied to it.Law Commission of India: Origin and EvolutionHow the Law Commission of India evolved from four colonial-era commissions to the 22nd Commission today, its role, composition, and functions.NILERD and DMEO: Attached Bodies of NITI AayogNILERD and DMEO are NITI Aayog's autonomous body and attached office, handling human capital research and programme monitoring respectively.Law Commission of IndiaThe Law Commission of India, first set up in 1955 under M.C. Setalvad, is a non-constitutional body that recommends legal reform and codifies laws.NCRWC Recommendations on Governance and Civil Service ReformsNCRWC recommendations (2000-02) covered 249 reforms — 58 constitutional, 86 legislative, 105 executive — shaping civil service governance debates.Pressure Groups: Meaning and TechniquesPressure groups are organised interests like FICCI, AITUC and farmer unions that lobby, mobilise and negotiate to shape policy without contesting elections.