Rapid Fire
Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas
- 16 Jul 2024
- 2 min read
Recently, the declaration of 25th June as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas serves as a poignant reminder of the period when the Constitution of India was undermined, particularly during the Emergency imposed in 1975.
- The Prime Minister of India emphasised that this day will pay homage to all those who suffered from the excesses of the Emergency. It serves as a tool for educating citizens about their rights and the significance of the Constitution in protecting democracy.
- The Emergency was a period from 25th June 1975 to 21st March 1977, when then PM Indira Gandhi's government used special provisions in the Constitution to impose significant executive and legislative changes in the country.
- The declaration of Emergency centralises power, allowing the Union to direct state governments, bringing them under the complete control of the Centre, effectively creating a unitary system.
- India has declared a National Emergency three times. The first was from 1962 to 1968 during the India-China war, the second was in 1971 during the Indo-Pakistan war, and the third was from 1975 to 1977 due to political instability.
- Emergency Provisions in Constitution:
| Articles | Subject Matter |
| Article 352 | Proclamation of Emergency |
| Article 353 | Effect of Proclamation of Emergency |
| Article 354 | Application of provisions relating to the distribution of revenues while a Proclamation of Emergency is in operation |
| Article 355 | Duty of the Union to protect States against external aggression and internal disturbance |
| Article 356 | Provisions in case of failure of constitutional machinery in States |
| Article 357 | Exercise of legislative powers under proclamation issued under Article 356 |
| Article 358 | Suspension of provisions of Article 19 during Emergencies |
| Article 359 | Suspension of the enforcement of the rights conferred by Part III during Emergencies |
| Article 360 | Provisions as to Financial Emergency |
