Question

What steps did the Congress Govt. take after the imposition of Emergency in 1975?

Answer 1

1. After the proclamation of Emergency on 25^th June, 1975, the Congress Government implemented various strict regulations to suppress opposition and establish authority.
2. Prominent opposition leaders, including Jayaprakash Narayan and Morarji Desai, were arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). During pre-censorship, the press had less freedom and couldn’t say bad things about the government.
3. Several changes were made to the constitution, including the 38^th, 39^th, and 42^nd Amendments, which limited judicial review, guaranteed the election of the Prime Minister, and gave Parliament and the Centre more power.
4. The opposition-ruled governments collapsed in states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, giving rise to President’s Rule. 
5. Indira Gandhi started a 20-Point Programme to fight poverty, improve working conditions, and change the way land was used. Her son, Sanjay Gandhi, also came up with a controversial 5-Point Program that included slum clearing, family planning, literacy, planting trees, and campaigns against dowry.