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POLITICAL
GLOSSARY
Everything explained in plain language — what is CBI, ED, CAG, FIR, Electoral Bonds, PMLA? If you've ever felt lost reading political news, this page is for you.
Beginner-friendly: Each term is explained at two levels — a simple one-liner first, then detailed explanation with real examples. Click any card to expand.
30
Terms Explained
6
Investigation Agencies
8
Legal Terms
6
Governance Terms
Showing 30 of 30 terms
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CBIAgency
Central Bureau of Investigation
Simple: India's top detective agency — like the FBI in USA
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EDAgency
Enforcement Directorate
Simple: Agency that freezes money from corruption — like a financial police
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FIRLegal
First Information Report
Simple: The first official complaint filed with police — like the start of a legal case
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CAGAgency
Comptroller and Auditor General of India
Simple: India's official financial auditor — checks if government money was spent correctly
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IT (Income Tax) RaidsAgency
Income Tax Department Raids / Surveys
Simple: Government's tax police searches your home/office for hidden money
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ADRWatchdog
Association for Democratic Reforms
Simple: An independent organisation that tracks politicians' criminal records and assets
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EC AffidavitLegal
Election Commission Affidavit (Form 26)
Simple: A sworn statement every election candidate must file — declaring their crimes, assets and education
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Electoral BondsPolitical
Electoral Bond Scheme (2018-2024)
Simple: A secret way companies donated money to political parties — declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court
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PMLALegal
Prevention of Money Laundering Act (2002)
Simple: Law that criminalises hiding money from crimes — gives ED its powers
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NDAAlliance
National Democratic Alliance
Simple: BJP's political coalition — parties that have joined together under BJP's leadership
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INDIA AllianceAlliance
Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance
Simple: 26 opposition parties that joined to fight BJP in 2024 — but lost
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Lok SabhaGovernance
Lok Sabha — Lower House of Indian Parliament
Simple: India's main Parliament — 543 elected MPs make laws and choose the Prime Minister
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Rajya SabhaGovernance
Rajya Sabha — Upper House of Indian Parliament
Simple: India's 'Senate' — 245 members elected by state assemblies, not directly by people
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Vidhan SabhaGovernance
Vidhan Sabha — State Legislative Assembly
Simple: State Parliament — elected MLAs form the state government and choose the Chief Minister
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MLARole
Member of Legislative Assembly
Simple: An elected state-level politician — represents one constituency in the state parliament
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MPRole
Member of Parliament
Simple: A directly elected national-level politician — represents India in Parliament
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ChargesheetLegal
Chargesheet (Police/CBI/ED report to court)
Simple: The document investigators file in court listing all evidence against an accused person
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Bail vs Parole vs ConvictionLegal
Understanding stages of criminal proceedings
Simple: Bail = temporary freedom while case continues; Parole = conditional release after conviction; Conviction = found guilty by court
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Defection / Anti-Defection LawPolitical
Anti-Defection Law (10th Schedule, Indian Constitution)
Simple: Law against switching parties after election — but with loopholes politicians exploit
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No-Confidence MotionGovernance
Vote of No Confidence
Simple: A vote in Parliament where MPs can remove the Prime Minister if majority votes against
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MGNREGSScheme
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
Simple: Law guaranteeing 100 days of paid work per year to any rural household that asks for it
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GSTEconomy
Goods and Services Tax
Simple: India's national sales tax — replaced 17 different taxes in 2017
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Disproportionate AssetsLegal
DA Case — Assets beyond known income
Simple: When a politician owns much more than their salary allows — and can't explain why
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Contempt of CourtLegal
Contempt of Court Act
Simple: Disrespecting or disobeying a court order — can result in jail or fine
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Sedition LawLegal
Section 124A IPC (now replaced by BNS Section 152)
Simple: Law against speaking/writing against the government — widely misused to arrest journalists and activists
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Governor vs CM ConflictGovernance
Role of Governor in Indian States
Simple: Governor is appointed by central government — when opposition runs a state, conflicts with CM often arise
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NHRCAgency
National Human Rights Commission
Simple: India's official human rights watchdog — investigates rights violations by government agencies
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Lok Ayukta / LokpalAgency
Lokpal (National) and Lok Ayukta (State) — anti-corruption ombudsman
Simple: India's anti-corruption watchdog for politicians and bureaucrats — Lokpal for Centre, Lok Ayukta for States
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Manipur Ethnic ViolenceCrisis
Kuki-Meitei conflict in Manipur (May 2023-present)
Simple: Ongoing ethnic violence between two communities in Manipur — 200+ killed, 60,000+ displaced
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EVMGovernance
Electronic Voting Machine
Simple: The machine Indians vote on — opposition frequently alleges it can be tampered with
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Now that you know what CBI, ED, affidavit, and pending cases mean — go check out the actual politicians.