Siddharth Jha Archives - Constitution of India

The Constituent Assembly’s Concerns over President’s Ordinance Powers

22 May 2023 • By Siddharth Jha

Last Friday, the President promulgated an ordinance overturning a significant Supreme Court judgment. Did our Constitution framers intend for the ordinance powers to be used in such a manner?

2 mins

The Influence of Dewey’s Ideas of Social Forces on B.R. Ambedkar

16 May 2023 • By Siddharth Jha

A recent book by Scott Stroud carefully explores the influence of philosopher John Dewey and his pragmatic philosophy on B.R. Ambedkar. Here, we focus on one strand of this influence: Dewey’s ideas of social forces and the role of the individual in effecting social change.

3 mins

Our Early Legislators on the Grounds for Divorce

8 May 2023 • By Siddharth Jha

On 1 May, the Supreme Court made significant interventions in the divorce law governed by the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA), utilising its power under Article 142 to expand the range of grounds on which individuals can seek divorce. Read what our early lawmakers had to say about this subject here.

2 mins

B.N. Rau’s ‘Outlines of a New Constitution’

26 February 2023 • By Siddharth Jha

Sir Benegal Narsing Rau played a key role in the making of our Constitution, as Constitutional Adviser. In this blog, we draw attention to a document authored by him in 1946, which aimed at resolving the political deadlock over India's constitutional future, by presenting a solution acceptable to both the Congress and the Muslim League.

3 mins

The Tamil Nadu Governor and Constitutional Conventions

25 February 2023 • By Siddharth Jha

On 9 January 2023, the Governor of Tamil Nadu chose to skip certain portions of the speech prepared by the state government, while addressing the first session of the Legislative Assembly in the new year. This kicked off a huge political row, with the ruling party in Tamil Nadu alleging a serious breach of “convention”.

3 mins

Why did B.R. Ambedkar Accept the Poona Pact?

19 December 2022 • By Siddharth Jha

What were the reasons behind Ambedkar accepting the Poona Pact despite the lack of inclusion of separate electorates within its provisions?

3 mins

How did Ambedkar and Gandhi imagine Indian Federalism?

13 October 2022 • By Vineeth Krishna and Siddharth Jha

B.R. Ambedkar's and M.K. Gandhi's contrasting views on the caste system, have garnered wide attention. Here, we compare their views on an important constitutional design feature: Federalism.

3 mins