Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Under overlords: On Centre-Delhi government relations

​Under overlords: On Centre-Delhi government relations

Supreme Court ruling (फैसला, आदेश) on aldermen shows Delhi’s vulnerability (कमजोरी, संवेदनशीलता) to Centre’s dominance

The Supreme Court of India’s verdict holding that the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Delhi exercises independent (स्वतंत्र, स्वायत्त) authority (अधिकार, शक्ति) while appointing aldermen to the Delhi Municipal Corporation, underscores (जोर देना, रेखांकित करना) the utter (complete, total, absolute, thorough, outright) vulnerability of the elected Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi to central overlordship (प्रभुता, आधिपत्य). The judgment by a three-judge Bench (a court of law with a number of judges) rightly (correctly) relies on the letter of the law governing Centre-Delhi government relations, as well as earlier judgments that sought to strike a balance (find a fair & reasonable line of action between two contrasting things) between the elected regime (शासन, प्रशासन) and the appointed administrator. The final outcome (परिणाम, नतीजा) of the latest round of litigation (मुकदमेबाजी, न्यायिक कार्यवाही) is not surprising, given (considering, taking into account, bearing in mind) that Delhi is a Union Territory, but it raises questions about the relevance (प्रासंगिकता, महत्व) of having an elected Assembly for Delhi. The Court held that the Lt. Governor’s power to appoint persons with special knowledge in municipal administration is his statutory duty (a legal duty imposed by or under any written law), and is not one that he should exercise (use, utilize, employ, wield, apply, make use of) on the basis of advice from Delhi’s Council of Ministers. The power is an exception (special case, deviation, departure, anomaly, peculiarity) to the constitutional provision (प्रावधान) that says the L-G is bound by (constrained by, answerable to, liable to, accountable to, under the control of) the aid and advice (सहायता और सलाह) of Delhi’s Council of Ministers on all matters in the State and Concurrent Lists, except for the subjects of public order (it is essentially the absence of disorder - the quiet and orderly behaviour of people in public space. It involves people behaving sensibly and rationally, and respecting others), police and land. The Court has rejected the Delhi government’s argument that municipal administration, being a State subject, the L-G could not have acted on his own.

Tracing the nature of the appointing power to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 (An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to the Municipal Government of Delhi), as amended in 1993, a law enacted by Parliament, the Court noted that the Act (law, rule, statute, decree, ordinance, stipulation) identifies different authorities (officials, officialdom, the people in charge, the government, the administration, the establishment, the bureaucracy, the system), each with distinct (well defined, clear-cut, definite) roles. While the Administrator was empowered (authorize, allow, entitle) to nominate 10 persons with special knowledge, the Speaker could nominate some legislators (a member of a legislature (parliament/legislative assembly); elected representative, lawmaker) to serve (be a member of; work for, work on) on the Corporation by rotation (one after the other, in a regular order). And that this showed that it was an independent statutory power. A Constitution Bench (संविधान पीठ) had sought in 2018 to lay down (formulate, stipulate, frame, prescribe, promulgate) a framework (structure, system, organization) to avoid escalation (intensification, aggravation, exacerbation) of issues arising from differences of opinion between the L-G and the Chief Minister. Such differences (disagreement, difference of opinion, misunderstanding, dispute), as well as political acrimony (bitterness, hostility, resentment) between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, have been the principal (main, most important, crucial) driving force (motive force, motivation, impetus, push/thrust) behind multiple conflicts (dispute, quarrel, friction, strife) and legal tussles (fight, clash, quarrel, argument, contention) over governing Delhi. However, in the ultimate analysis, it is the Centre that enjoys the final say (authority, influence, clout, sway, weight, voice). As the latest verdict on aldermen shows, the Constitution allows Parliament power to enact laws in respect of (concerning, regarding, in/with regard to, with reference to) any matter on which the Delhi Assembly has jurisdiction (authority, power), unlike other States which have an exclusive legislative domain (field, area, realm, sphere, section (of activity)). Parliament can also amend or supersede (replace, displace, supplant, substitute for, take the place of, take over from) any law made by the Delhi Assembly. As legislative (relating to a legislature; law-making (body), parliamentary, policy-making, administrative) and executive (relating to a branch of government that enforces the law as written by the legislature and interpreted by the judiciary) powers are coextensive (having the same and equal scope/limit/boundary/extent), this effectively (practically, virtually, in effect, in reality, actually, more or less, almost) means that the Delhi government can be undermined (weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage) in any way (under any circumstances or conditions; in whatever way, by any means) the Centre wants.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.ruling (noun)

Hindi Meaning - फैसला, आदेश
English Meaning - verdict, decision, judgement, adjudication, pronouncement.

2.vulnerability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कमजोरी, संवेदनशीलता
English Meaning - weakness, defencelessness, unprotectedness, susceptibility.

3.independent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्वतंत्र, स्वायत्त
English Meaning - separate, distinct; unrestrained, unconstrained.

4.authority (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिकार, शक्ति
English Meaning - power, jurisdiction, dominance, sovereignty.

5.underscore (verb)

Hindi Meaning - जोर देना, रेखांकित करना
English Meaning - highlight, emphasize, underline, stress, call/draw attention to.

6.overlordship (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रभुता, आधिपत्य
English Meaning - the position or quality of being an overlord/ruler (a person with great power).

7.Constitution Bench (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संविधान पीठ
English Meaning - a bench of the Supreme Court having five or more judges on it. These benches are not a routine phenomenon. Constitution Benches are exceptions, set up only if some circumstances exist).

8.regime (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शासन, प्रशासन
English Meaning - government, administration.

9.outcome (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिणाम, नतीजा
English Meaning - end result, implication, ramification, repercussion.

10.litigation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुकदमेबाजी, न्यायिक कार्यवाही
English Meaning - court case, lawsuit, trial, legal proceedings, legal action.

11.relevance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रासंगिकता, महत्व
English Meaning - significance, importance.

12.(Legislative) Assembly (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधानसभा
English Meaning - Assembly/Vidhan Sabha; a legislative body in the states and union territories of India.

13.aid and advice (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - सहायता और सलाह
English Meaning - real authority to take decisions lies in the elected government. This is the meaning of ‘aid and advice’. Titular head (Lt. Governor) has to act in accordance to aid and advice.

14.the Council of Ministers (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मंत्रिपरिषद
English Meaning - the supreme executive organ in a government. The term is usually equivalent to the word “cabinet”.

15.provision (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रावधान
English Meaning - stipulation, condition, specification, requirement, clause.

16.overlord (noun)

English Meaning - a person who is having great authority or power; emperor, ruler, despot, dictator, tyrant, authoritarian, satrap.

17.alderman (noun)

English Meaning - a member of a city council or municipal body.

18.hold (verb)

English Meaning - (of a court) rule, decide.

19.exercise (verb)

English Meaning - use, utilize, employ, wield, apply, make use of.

20.utter (adjective)

English Meaning - complete, total, absolute, thorough, outright.

21.bench (noun)

English Meaning - a court of law with a number of judges.

22.Division Bench (noun)

English Meaning - a bench of two or three judges is called a division bench.

23.rightly (adverb)

English Meaning - correctly.

24.rely on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - depend on; count on, fall back on, resort to, have recourse to.

25.letter and spirit (phrase)

English Meaning - (to obey) both literal interpretation/wording and the intent/purpose of the law.

26.sought past tense of seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

27.strike a balance (phrase)

English Meaning - find a fair & reasonable line of action between two contrasting things.

28.given (preposition)

English Meaning - considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.

29.statutory (adjective)

English Meaning - regulated/controlled by statute (rules or laws).

30.statutory duty (noun)

English Meaning - a legal duty imposed by or under any written law.

31.exception (noun)

English Meaning - special case, deviation, departure, anomaly, peculiarity.

32.bound by (adjective)

English Meaning - constrained by, answerable to, liable to, accountable to, under the control of.

33.Concurrent List or List III (noun)

English Meaning - the list which includes the power to be considered by both the union and state government (as given in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India).

34.State List or List II (noun)

English Meaning - it includes subjects that give powers to the state governments. (as given in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, the legislative section is divided into three lists: the Union List, State List and Concurrent List).

35.Union List or List I (noun)

English Meaning - it includes subjects that give powers to the union government. (as given in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, the legislative section is divided into three lists: the Union List, State List and Concurrent List).

36.public order (noun)

English Meaning - it is essentially the absence of disorder - the quiet and orderly behaviour of people in public space. It involves people behaving sensibly and rationally, and respecting others.

37.on one’s own (phrase)

English Meaning - alone, all alone, independently, single-handedly.

38.Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 (noun)

English Meaning - An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to the Municipal Government of Delhi.

39.the Act (noun)

English Meaning - law, rule, statute, decree, ordinance, stipulation.

40.authorities (noun)

English Meaning - officials, officialdom, the people in charge, the government, the administration, the establishment, the bureaucracy, the system.

41.distinct (adjective)

English Meaning - well defined, clear-cut, definite.

42.empower (verb)

English Meaning - authorize, allow, entitle.

43.legislator (noun)

English Meaning - a member of a legislature (parliament/legislative assembly); elected representative, lawmaker.

44.serve (verb)

English Meaning - be a member of; work for, work on.

45.by rotation (phrase)

English Meaning - one after the other, in a regular order.

46.lay down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - formulate, stipulate, frame, prescribe, promulgate.

47.framework (noun)

English Meaning - structure, system, organization.

48.escalation (noun)

English Meaning - intensification, aggravation, exacerbation.

49.arise from (verb)

English Meaning - originate from, come from, be rooted in, emanate from, flow from, proceed from, result from, be consequent on, stem from.

50.difference of opinion (phrase)

English Meaning - disagreement, difference, dispute.

51.difference (noun)

English Meaning - disagreement, difference of opinion, misunderstanding, dispute.

52.acrimony (noun)

English Meaning - bitterness, hostility, resentment.

53.principal (adjective)

English Meaning - main, most important, crucial.

54.driving force (phrase)

English Meaning - motive force, motivation, impetus, push/thrust.

55.conflict (noun)

English Meaning - dispute, quarrel, friction, strife.

56.tussle (noun)

English Meaning - fight, clash, quarrel, argument, contention.

57.say (noun)

English Meaning - authority, influence, clout, sway, weight, voice.

58.constitution (noun)

English Meaning - body of law; system of rules; regulations, fundamental principles, charter.

59.The Constitution of India (noun)

English Meaning - India, also known as Bharat, is a Union of States. It is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Republic is governed in terms of the Constitution of India which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949 and came into force on 26th January, 1950.

60.in respect of (phrase)

English Meaning - concerning, regarding, in/with regard to, with reference to.

61.jurisdiction (noun)

English Meaning - authority, power.

62.domain (noun)

English Meaning - field, area, realm, sphere, section (of activity).

63.supersede (verb)

English Meaning - replace, displace, supplant, substitute for, take the place of, take over from.

64.legislative (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a legislature; law-making (body), parliamentary, policy-making, administrative.

65.executive (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a branch of government that enforces the law as written by the legislature and interpreted by the judiciary.

66.coextensive (adjective)

English Meaning - having the same and equal scope/limit/boundary/extent.

67.effectively (adverb)

English Meaning - practically, virtually, in effect, in reality, actually, more or less, almost.

68.undermine (verb)

English Meaning - weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage.

69.in any way (phrase)

English Meaning - under any circumstances or conditions; in whatever way, by any means.