Parliament & judiciary: General Awareness & Current Affairs Notes for ISRO Recruitment

Parliamentary & Judicial System – Advanced Study Notes

(Prepared for ISRO Recruitment – General Awareness & Current Affairs)

Note: These notes are written from a MIT‑level perspective, starting from first principles, and include rigorous reasoning, deeper theoretical insights, edge cases, and a challenging problem at the end.

1. Introduction

Aspect	Significance for ISRO
Parliament	Decides on budgets, research grants, policy directives that shape ISRO’s funding and strategic direction.
Judiciary	Interprets laws affecting space research (e.g., licensing, IP, international agreements).
Interaction	Legislative proposals, judicial review, and executive implementation all affect ISRO’s operations.

2. The Constitutional Foundations

2.1. Separation of Powers vs. Parliamentary Sovereignty

Principle	Traditional View	Constitutional Reality
Separation of Powers	Strict division: legislative, executive, judiciary	In India: constrained separation, where the executive is drawn from the legislature.
Parliamentary Sovereignty	Parliament can make or repeal any law	Constitution is supreme; Parliament can’t contravene fundamental provisions (Article 13).

Key Insight: The Indian system is a fusion of powers, but safeguards (judicial review, amendment procedure) maintain a checks‑and‑balances architecture.

2.2. Fundamental Principles

Supremacy of the Constitution – Article 13: No law can override fundamental rights.
Doctrine of Basic Structure – 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case: Parliament can amend any part, but not the basic structure (e.g., rule of law, separation of powers).
Doctrine of Judicial Review – Supreme Court’s power to invalidate laws that conflict with the Constitution.

3. The Indian Parliament

3.1. Structure

House	Composition	Term	Key Features
Lok Sabha (House of the People)	543 elected members + 2 nominated from Anglo‑Indian community (abolished 2020)	5 years	Directly elected; majority decides the government.
Rajya Sabha (Council of States)	245 members (including 12 nominated)	6 years (1/3 retire every 2 years)	Represents states; not subject to dissolution.

3.2. Legislative Process – A Step‑by‑Step Model

Drafting – Bill prepared by the executive or a member.
First Reading – Introduction; no debate.
Second Reading – Detailed debate & amendment.
Committee Stage – Detailed scrutiny (standing committee, joint committee, or ad‑hoc).
Third Reading – Final debate; passage.
Other House – Same stages; possible amendments.
Presidential Assent – Bill becomes law.
Publication – Gazette notification.

Edge Cases

Situation	Constitutional Provision	Typical Outcome
Emergency	Article 352	Parliament can enact laws that override fundamental rights; judicial review is curtailed.
Article 356	Special State Rule	Parliament can impose President’s Rule; requires parliamentary approval.
Anti‑Defection Law	52nd Amendment (1985)	Dissolution of the House if members defect; safeguards legislative stability.

3.3. Parliamentary Committees

Committee	Purpose	Types
Standing Committees	Detailed scrutiny of bills, budgets	Finance, Estimates, etc.
Joint Committees	Collaboration between Houses	Bills, constitutional amendments
Ad‑hoc Committees	Specific issues	Economic reforms, space policy

Advanced Theory: Committees embody deliberative democracy; they function as mini‑parliaments ensuring transparency and expertise in law‑making.

3.4. Recent Developments (2025–2026)

Year	Event	Impact
2025	Space Policy Bill 2025 (proposed)	Potential framework for ISRO’s international collaborations.
2026	Digital Infrastructure Bill	Grants ISRO data‑sharing capabilities with other ministries.
2026	Parliamentary Reform Act	Introduced a “Virtual Parliament” mode.

4. The Indian Judiciary

4.1. Hierarchy

Level	Judges	Jurisdiction	Key Functions
Supreme Court	34 Judges (incl. Chief Justice)	Original, appellate & advisory	Constitutional interpretation, high‑profile litigation
High Courts	122 judges	State & UTs	Appellate,