India Flashcards
What is the BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party is one of the two major parties in the Indian political system, along with the Indian National Congress. As of 2014, it is the country’s largest political party in terms of representation in the national parliament and state assemblies, and it is the world’s largest party in terms of primary membership. The BJP is a right-wing party, with close ideological and organisational links to the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
What is the AAP?
Aam Aadmi Party (translation: Common Man’s Party) is an Indian political party, formally launched on 26 November 2012 and is currently the ruling party of Delhi. It came into existence following differences between the activists Arvind Kejriwal and Anna Hazare regarding whether or not to politicise the popular India Against Corruption movement that had been demanding a Jan Lokpal Bill since 2011. Hazare preferred that the movement should remain politically unaligned while Kejriwal felt the failure of the agitation route necessitated a direct political involvement.
Who is Aarvind Kerjiwal?
Arvind Kejriwal (born 16 August 1968) is an Indian politician who is the seventh and current Chief Minister of Delhi. This is his second term as the Chief Minister, after his Party won the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections with a majority, winning 67 out of 70 assembly seats. He is the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Arvind Kejriwal is a social activist and politician. He is the CM designate of Delhi as his party AAP won 67 of the 70 assembly seats of Delhi. He launched the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2012.
Arvind Kejriwal was sworn in as Delhi Chief Minister for the first time on 28 December 2013 at the Ramlila Maidan and formed the government with Congress’s support. However, his tenure lasted for only 49 days as he decided to resign from his post after both BJP and Congress turned adamant and put their foot down against giving clearance to Aam Aadmi Party’s Jan Lokpal Bill.
What is the Greein Revolution in India?
Green Revolution in India began in the 1960s, through the introduction of high-yield crop varieties and application of modern agricultural techniques, and led to an increase in food production in India. It began after high-yielding wheat was first introduced to India in 1963 by American agronomist Dr. Norman Borlaug, who is known as “the Father of the Green Revolution”. The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds and the increased use of chemical fertilizers and irrigation led to the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India.[1] The methods adopted included the use of high yielding varieties (HYV)of seeds along with the use of modern farming methods.
The production of wheat has produced the best results in fueling self-sufficiency of India. Along with high yielding seeds and irrigation facilities, the enthusiasm of farmers mobilised the idea of agricultural revolution. Due to the rise in use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers there were negative effects on the soil and the land such as land degradation.
Who is Modi?
Narendra Damodardas Modi is the 15th and current Prime Minister of India, in office since 26 May 2014. Modi, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament (MP) from Varanasi. He led the BJP in the 2014 general election, which gave the party a majority in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Indian parliament) – a first for any party since 1984 – and was credited for October 2014 BJP electoral victories in the states of Haryana and Maharashtra.
The prime minister, a Hindu nationalist, is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)and is a controversial figure domestically and internationally; his administration was criticised for its failure to prevent the 2002 Gujarat riots. Although Modi’s economic policies (credited with encouraging economic growth in Gujarat) have been praised, his administration has also been criticised for failing to significantly improve the human development in the state.
What is a Jan Lokpal Bill
The Jan Lokpal Bill, also referred to as the Citizen’s Ombudsman Bill, is an anti-corruption bill drafted and drawn up by civil society activists in India seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body to investigate corruption cases.
The Jan Lokpal Bill aims to effectively deter corruption, compensate citizen grievances, and protect whistle-blowers. The prefix Jan (translation: citizens) signifies that these improvements include inputs provided by “ordinary citizens” through an activist-driven, non-governmental public consultation.[4]
The word Lokpal was coined in 1963 by late Mr. L.M. Singhvi, a member of parliament during a debate.
To draw the attention of the government, a focused campaign “India Against Corruption” (IAC) was started in 2011. Anna Hazare is the head of civil society and the IAC movement. Being a foreground for Jan Lokpal campaign. Through these collaborative efforts till August 2011, IAC was able to upload the 23rd version of the Jan Lokpal Bill draft.[5] As of January 2014, the Delhi State Government led by CM Arvind Kejriwal was preparing to adopt the Jan Lokpal Bill, but was unable to introduce it to the house, resigning moments later.[6]
