INTRODUCTION TO THE CRISIS In December 2024, South Korea faced a severe political crisis following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of a provisional state of emergency and reported plans to implement martial law. President Yoon justified these actions as necessary to address escalating security threats from North Korea. However, by bypassing constitutional procedures and centralizing power within the executive branch, he provoked widespread accusations of orchestrating a “self-coup” to undermine South Korea’s democratic framework. In response to the state of emergency and the alleged preparation to impose martial law, the South Korean National Assembly impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol by…
Author: admin-politycircle
INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXTSwitzerland has announced its decision to suspend the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause in its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with India, effective January 1, 2025. This decision, rooted in recent Supreme Court of India, ruling in Swiss Company Nestle Case marks a significant development in international taxation and bilateral relations between the two countries. The ruling redefined the interpretation and application of the MFN clause, requiring procedural formalities for enforcement, thereby increasing tax liabilities for Indian companies and potentially impacting investments between the two nations.BACKGROUND OF INDIA-SWITZERLAND DTAAThe India-Switzerland Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), signed in 1994…
INTRODUCTION Recently, the Union government introduced two significant bills in the Lok Sabha aimed at holding simultaneous elections for both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, andThe Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024,These bills were introduced amidst strong opposition protests. The government proposed that these bills be reviewed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) after a vote in the House, where 263 members supported the introduction and 198 opposed it. The initiative, known as “one nation, one poll” (ONOP), is part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) 2024 manifesto and is backed by Prime Minister…
For the first time in the history of India’s Parliament since its establishment in 1952, a notice has been submitted for the removal of the Vice President, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. This motion has been initiated by the INDIA bloc of opposition parties, alleging partisan behaviour by Sh. Jagdeep Dhankhar in his role as the Chairperson of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha). This event marks a significant moment in the functioning of India’s parliamentary democracy.The removal of the Vice President is governed by Article 67(b) of the Indian Constitution. According to this provision, a…
INITIATION OF THE MOTIONIn December 2024, Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav of the Allahabad High Court became the center of a significant controversy following his remarks made during an event organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh on 8th December, 2024. His speech, which included the statement that India should function according to the wishes of the Hindu majority and other derogatory references to the Muslim community, drew widespread criticism.In response, 55 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Rajya Sabha, including prominent figures such as Kapil Sibal, P. Chidambaram, and Digvijaya Singh, initiated an impeachment motion. The…
The Union budget is the annual financial report of India, an estimate of income and expenditure of Government of India on a periodical basis. As per Article 112 of the Constitution it is a compulsory task of the Union Government.The first budget of India was presented on 18th February 1860 by Mr. Scotsman James Wilson. The First budget of independent India was presented by Sh. RK Shanmukham Chattiy on 26th November 1947.The Union budget is prepared by the Union Finance Ministry and is presented by the Union Finance Minister in the Parliament on 1st February of every year.Previously, the Union…
India is the largest democracy in the world in terms of number of voters. The idea of One Nation, One Election has come to the centre stage after the present NDA Government led by hon’ble Prime Minister of India Sh. Narendra Modi has advocated to conduct elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislatures (Vidhan Sabha) simultaneously from the year 2029. The idea One nation, One election is to synchronize the timing of Lok Sabha and States Vidhan Sabha elections across all states to reduce the frequency of polls throughout the country, and also to conduct the elections to the local bodies…
Four Astronauts selected for the ‘Gaganyaan Mission.’The Gaganyaan Mission is India’s first human space flight program.The preparations for the mission are underway at various ISRO centers and the mission is set to launch between 2024-2025.The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has selected 4 candidates to form the squad for the Gaganyaan mission, namely Group Captain P. Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander S. Shukla.The 4 Candidates were handed the ‘Astronaut Wings’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram.The candidates represent the country and have been carefully selected by ISRO, after…
Pakistan was formed on 14th August 1947 by dividing India into two countries – India and Pakistan based on religion as demanded by the Muslim league. The division was made as per the Mountbatten Plan.On 23rd March 1956 Pakistan became a republic country and the name of the country became Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In fact, Pakistan is the first Islamic Republic in the world. Pakistan celebrates its Republic Day as Pakistan Day (YAUM -e- PAKISTAN) on 23rd March every year.Pakistan is a federal country and has parliamentary form of Government. The parliament of Pakistan is known as Majlis -e-…
The Supreme Court has struck down the Central Government’sElectoral Bond (EB) scheme of political funding, declaring it as “unconstitutional”.The Electoral Bond scheme, which was announced at the 2017 Union Budget allowed individuals/corporations to donate money to political parties anonymously by purchasing electoral bonds from the State Bank of India (SBI). It was promoted as a solution to the issue of opacity in political parties funding.The scheme was criticized and arguments were raised about citizen’s right to information before voting. It was also questioned as to how the scheme would distinctly favour that time’s ruling government as the guarantee of anonymity…