Consti-tution
★ 10 · 2017 · Documentary
Learning about the Constitution is vital for all citizens but it can also be a tedious process, with a paraphernalia of seemingly indecipherable jargon thrown around like slurs and fallacies in a Parliamentary debate. To simplify the process is Meghnad S, a public policy professional who has also worked with several MPs across party lines. His new show, “Consti-tuition”, presented by Newslaundry, aims to break the logjam and let loose policy understanding among the masses.
Episodes
▶1. VotingIn the first episode of Consti-tuition, Meghnad explains what is the job of your elected representatives at various levels and who you can scream at for not doing the right job.
Catch new episodes of this series every Friday at 7 pm as we go on a journey to understand the Great Indian Democracy. Oh and don't forget to do your homework!
Homework for Episode 1
1) Find out what your Member of Parliament is upto.
Check out PRS Legislative MP Track section: http://www.prsindia.org/mptrack/16lok...
Tell us what you find, tweet using #KnowYourNeta
2) Google your MP and see what he/she has been in the news for recently. Tweet to us using #KnowYourNeta.
3) Find out more about Panchayats and how they work, what their job is and how they function currently.▶2. BillsIn this episode of Consti-tuition, Meghnad explains how bills become laws and why we need to pay attention to the laws being made. Every single line in a law affects 1.3 billion people.▶3. SpeakersIn this episode of Consti-tuition, Meghnad talks about which tools Members of Parliament use to participate in parliament. The Speakers in Parliament have to be clever while putting their observations & opinions forward, all with the aim of getting the attention of the Government and their voters.▶4. CommitteesIn this episode of Consti-tuition, Meghnad explains how bills are analyzed by Committees & why that vital aspect of democracy is losing its importance. Episode 2 was about how Bills become laws, but what the law contains & how valid the contents are, all depends on the scrutiny by committees.▶5. BudgetIn this episode of Consti-tuition, Meghnad explains how the Union Budget is passed by Parliament every year. The Budget is how our Government spends taxpayer money. It is extremely important for citizens to know/find out where our money is being spent.▶6. Anti-defectionIn this episode of Consti-tuition, Meghnad explains how the party leaders impose their will on MPs through the anti-defection law. MPs cannot defect from parties or vote against the party high command, effectively giving all power of passing legislation to just a handful of people. Catch new episodes every Friday at 7 pm on our YouTube channel (don't forget to subscribe) as we set out to understand the Great Indian Democracy.▶7. BabusIn this episode of Consti-tuition, Meghnad breaks down the second pillar of democracy. Not literally. Metaphorically speaking. The second pillar, the Executive, is responsible for implementing the laws that Parliament makes. Find out how our Babus work and how they are supposed to work. Wait... Do they even work?▶8. Private Member BillsIn this episode of Consti-tuition, Meghnad tells you about Private Members Bills, those bills which are introduced by individual MPs and not the Government. Also, watch and find out about an unlikely super-hero who tried really hard, pushed his bill through after 47 years of independence and became Number One.▶9. JudiciaryIn this episode of Consti-tuition, Meghnad tells you about the third pillar of democracy: The Judiciary. Our judiciary is supposed to read the law, interpret it and apply it to ensure order in society. But does it do it's job the way it's supposed to? Is the Judiciary answerable to anyone and can it be questioned for taking the wrong decisions? These are questions which require a deep dive to be answered.▶10. LokpalIn this episode, Meghnad takes a deep dive into a subject everyone seemed to care about a few years ago. After 10 weeks of telling you how democracy works, in the last episode he tells you how it didn't work when we wanted it the most.
Despite following all steps, despite electing a different set of people, despite all the epic outrage and a mass movement: WHERE IS LOKPAL?
In the final episode of Consti-tuition, we ask a very simple question: Why is it that time and again we keep getting disappointed with Government?