Lesson -1
It is little difficult to suppress a sense of disquiet over the Supreme court's
directions on police and students union election reforms. No one will question
the urgent need for change, indeed, a deep an abiding one, in both these
institutions. But perhaps a greater reforms is needed to make our democratic
system work the way it should. In a democratic society the task of making
laws belongs to elected assemblies and of executing them to a government
comprising largely of elected legislators.
The courts are meant to interpret laws and rules, not make them. In recent
years, failures of government have led to an unconscionable and
uncomfortable title of judicial activism that has undermined the basic
balance.
The problem with court verdicts is, as Andrew Jackson once declared in
another context, that they require some other authority to execute them.
That institution can only be the government. weak governments often find
courts a convenient crutch to conduct their work, as did the Delhi
government in pushing for the use of CNG fuel for public transport. But this
doesn't always work. Witness the emerging clash on the issue of demolitions
and sealing’s. At the same time, however. we cannot but applaud the
proposals mooted by the apex court to reform the police services and the
students' Union elections. Put it would have been much better if the
executive had come forward on its proposals. For example, the sum of As.
5,000, proposed as a ceiling for students'.
Union election, will not even cover the cost of poster paper, paint and fule for
mid-sized college election. police reforms. too. need to be viewed through
realistic lenses. The reason why
It is little difficult to suppress a sense of disquiet over the Supreme court's
directions on police and students union election reforms. No one will question
the urgent need for change, indeed, a deep an abiding one, in both these
institutions. But perhaps a greater reforms is needed to make our democratic
system work the way it should. In a democratic society the task of making
laws belongs to elected assemblies and of executing them to a government
comprising largely of elected legislators.
The courts are meant to interpret laws and rules, not make them. In recent
years, failures of government have led to an unconscionable and
uncomfortable title of judicial activism that has undermined the basic
balance.
The problem with court verdicts is, as Andrew Jackson once declared in
another context, that they require some other authority to execute them.
That institution can only be the government. weak governments often find
courts a convenient crutch to conduct their work, as did the Delhi
government in pushing for the use of CNG fuel for public transport. But this
doesn't always work. Witness the emerging clash on the issue of demolitions
and sealing’s. At the same time, however. we cannot but applaud the
proposals mooted by the apex court to reform the police services and the
students' Union elections. Put it would have been much better if the
executive had come forward on its proposals. For example, the sum of As.
5,000, proposed as a ceiling for students'.
Union election, will not even cover the cost of poster paper, paint and fule for
mid-sized college election. police reforms. too. need to be viewed through
realistic lenses. The reason why
