Category Politics & Parliaments

Who was Boris Yeltsin?

Boris Yeltsin became the first president in Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He was also the first freely elected leader in the whole history of Russia going back to a thousand years!

President Yeltsin presented a new constitution in 1993 which was approved by the Russian voters. It gave strong powers to the president, leaving the Russian parliament comparatively weaker. Yeltsin abandoned some of the basic ideas that the Soviet Union had held dear. He allowed private ownership of property and brought in a free market, and did away with price controls. Many of the state assets were privatized. Yeltsin also supported a free press, and agreed to a reduction in nuclear arms.

Yeltsin’s reforms made a section of the people very wealthy, but many were left poor. He also invited criticism against Russia by sending troops to Chechnya in 1994, causing the death of many. Yeltsin announced his resignation on December 31, 1999, and named Vladimir Putin as his successor. He died on April 23, 2007.

Picture Credit : Google

Why did the U.S.S.R. come to an end?

The Soviet Union ceased to exist on December 25, 1991, as President Mikhail Gorbachev announced its dissolution. The day also marked the birth of the Russian Federation with Boris Yeltsin as its first president.

The world’s largest communist state, the mammoth power that had influenced international politics for so long, was dissolved to form 15 independent republics. What brought the giant down? There were many factors that led to this – political, economic, social and military. The Soviet economy had been suffering for a long time, and the country’s bureaucracy was inefficient. Mikhail Gorbachev, who was appointed the general secretary of the Communist Party in 1985, wanted to give the system a strong push. He brought in two major policies, ‘glasnost’ (which means ‘openness’) and ‘perestroika’ (‘restructuring’). Glasnost gave people the freedom of speech, and religion was restored. Hundreds of former dissenters were released from prison. The aim of perestroika was to adopt a mixed economic system of communism and capitalism. All this was strange and too sudden for the hitherto closed Soviet system, and created social and economic tensions. Under the Soviet economy, all sources of industrial and agricultural production were under the control of the government, and this idea was shaken by the new reforms. Nationalist parties soon raised their heads in the constituent republics posing a threat to the Soviet monolith.

Picture Credit : Google

How did the Provisional Government perform?

The February Revolution marked the end of the Romanov dynasty, and Tsar Nicholas II had to step down. The parliament then formed the Russian Provisional Government which ruled the country for a brief period. This was not an elected body, and had Prince Lvov as its prime minister.

The Provisional Government did make some efforts to make things right in the trauma-ridden country. It abolished the death penalty and all political offenders in prison and in exile were granted amnesty. It also gave the people civil liberties and put an end to religious and ethnic discrimination.

However, the Provisional Government failed to improve the people’s quality of life, and did not deal with land reforms. Also, there was no effort to end the war; the Provisional Government’s policy was that Russia should continue fighting, honouring its commitments to its allies in World War I. All this made the people more and unhappy with the Provisional Government, and its rule lasted only eight months.

Picture Credit : Google

What is the parliament of Russia known as?

The Russian parliament is known as the Federal Assembly of Russia. It comprises two houses: The State Duma, which is the lower house, and the Federation Council, which is the upper house.

The Federation Council consists of two representatives from each region. Out of the two representatives, one is of the legislative branch which is the regional parliament, and another one is from the executive branch, which is the regional government. Each member of the Federation Council is called a senator. Along with them, 30 other senators are appointed by the president. The Federation Council is a permanent body and it cannot be dissolved by the president, like the State Duma. Its meetings are held as necessary, but it happens at least twice a month.

The first State Duma was elected on December 12th, 1993, and it was the same day on which the Constitution of the Russian Federation was approved at a nationwide constitutional referendum.

As per the Russian constitution, the State Duma has 450 deputies. Elections to the State Duma happen every five years. Deputies in the State Duma belong to different political parties and are not like the Federation Council.

Any Russian citizen over the age of 21 and eligible to participate in elections can become an elected deputy to the State Duma.

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT IS VIBRANT VILLAGE PROGRAMME?

The Government wants to open the villages along the Line of Actual Control, that is the Chinese border, for tourists under the Vibrant Villages Programme, which was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the Budget presentation in February 2022. What is the Vibrant Villages Programme and what is its significance? Let’s find out.

Objectives of the programme

The Vibrant Villages Programme was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 for the of villages in border areas, especially those on the northern border. The decision is aimed at improving infrastructure in villages along India’s border with China, in States such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Border villages with sparse population often get left out from development plans. The new Vibrant Villages Programme is also expected strengthen the defence of the country.

Activities planned

Construction of village infrastructure, road connectivity. development of decentralised. renewable energy sources and direct-to-home access for Doordarshan and educational  channels are some of the activities planned under this new programme. Housing facilities will be upgraded, tourist centres will be built, and support will be extended for the livelihood of people there. Besides setting aside funds for these activities, it is said that the existing schemes will be monitored constantly.

Why is it significant?

The announcement of the programme is significant in the wake of increasing Chinese presence along the border with India. China has been actively constructing infrastructure along the border since 2017, which has given rise to concerns here among the government and security forces. It is building border villages in Tibet in an attempt to strengthen its presence along the frontier. The Vibrant Villages Programme is “a counter to China’s model villages but the name has been carefully chosen so as to not cause any consternation in the neighboring country”.

In this context, it may be recalled that China and India have been engaged in a stand-off at several locations in Eastern Ladakh for the past two years. and that India lost as many as 20 soldiers in one of the worst clashes with the People’s Liberation Army of China in June 2020.

Picture Credit : Google