Constitution on Indian Politics

Home Ministry–Ladakh talks end without breakthrough; next round set for 22 October

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 15:05:56 +0530

Talks between a sub-committee of the Union Home Ministry and representatives of Ladakh’s two main civil-society bodies ended on Thursday, 15 October 2026, without a breakthrough, according to Hindustan Times (carrying a PTI report) and The Indian Express. The two sides will meet again in New Delhi on 22 October.

President Murmu appoints new Governors for Keralam, Karnataka, Odisha, Sikkim and Uttarakhand

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:06:20 +0530

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday, 12 October 2026, appointed Governors for six states, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique reported by The Hindu and The Indian Express.

The appointments

Tamil Nadu: Rajendra Arlekar, who had held additional charge of Tamil Nadu alongside Keralam, becomes full-time Governor of Tamil Nadu.
Keralam: O.P. Mathur, until now Governor of Sikkim, is appointed Governor of Keralam in place of Mr Arlekar.
Karnataka: Sudha Yadav is appointed Governor, replacing Thawarchand Gahlot, according to The Hindu.
Odisha: Braj Mohan Ram (spelt “Brij Mohan Ram” by The Hindu) is appointed Governor.
Uttarakhand: Dhal Singh Bisen is appointed Governor.
Sikkim: Dushyant Gautam is appointed Governor.

Background of the appointees

According to The Hindu, Ms Yadav is a former Lok Sabha member from Mahendragarh, Haryana (1999–2004), and was a member of the BJP’s Parliamentary Board from August 2022 until the new team under party president Nitin Nabin took charge. Mr Ram was a Lok Sabha member for Palamau, Jharkhand, between 1996 and 2004. Mr Bisen is a former MP from Madhya Pradesh and has served as a minister in the state government. Mr Gautam is a former Rajya Sabha member and served as BJP general secretary under J.P. Nadda’s presidency. The Hindu reports that Mr Bisen succeeds Lt. Gen. (retd) Gurmeet Singh, whose five-year term in Uttarakhand ended in September.

The anti-defection law, explained

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 22:50:00 +0530

In 1967, a Haryana legislator named Gaya Lal changed parties several times within a short span, giving Indian politics the phrase “Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram”. Nearly two decades later, Parliament responded with the anti-defection law.

What the law says

The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, inserted by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985, applies to members of Parliament and of state legislatures. A member elected on a party ticket can be disqualified if they:

How the President of India is elected

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 22:45:00 +0530

The President of India is not elected directly by voters. Instead, the Constitution sets up an electoral college — and gives its members’ votes different weights.

Who votes

Under Article 54, the electoral college is made up of: