Rakesh Garhwal

Join Telegram Channel Why in News According to the National Election Watch (NEW) and Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), in the Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, at least 1,157 out of 6,318 candidates have criminal cases against them. •NEW is a nationwide campaign since 2002 comprising more than 1200 Non- governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other citizen led organizations working  together on electoral reforms, improving democracy and governance in India. •ADR is an Indian NGO established in 1999 situated in New Delhi. Key Points •About: • The criminalization of politics means the participation of criminals in politics  which includes that criminals can contest in the elections and get elected as  members of the Parliament and the State legislature. It takes place primarily  due to the nexus between politicians and criminals. Legal Aspect of Disqualification of Criminal Candidates •In this regard, Indian Constitution does not specify as

Why in News: In a recent reply in the Parlaiment, the government disclosed that between 1 st April and 30th November, 2015, 25,357 cases were registered under police category which included 111 deaths in police custody, 330 cases of custodial torture and 24,916 in others. •This data again lays emphasis on the need to make police accountable and carry  out police reforms. Key Points •Police Reforms (Meaning): • Police reforms aim to transform the values, culture, policies and practices of  police organizations. • It envisages police to perform their duties with respect for democratic values,  human rights and the rule of law. • It also aims to improve how the police interact with other parts of the security  sector, such as the courts and departments of corrections, or executive,  parliamentary or independent authorities with management or oversight  responsibilities. • Police come under the state list of schedule 7 of the Indian constitution. Issues Concerning Police Forces: •Colonial