Why in News?

• The President and Vice President of India on different occasions highlighted the significance of the doctrine of Separation of Powers.

Highlights: 

• The President, in her valedictory address at the Constitution Day Celebrations, being organised by the Supreme Court, said that “the Constitution outlines a map for good governance. The most crucial feature in this is the doctrine of separation of functions and powers of the three organs of the State”.
• She appreciated the way the three organs have respected the boundaries set in place by the Constitution which has been the hallmark of our Republic while cautioning all three organs against excessive “zeal” which may lead to transgressing the “boundaries”.
• The Vice President, in his capacity as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, addressed the House for the first time on December 7. 
• In his address, he opined that the sublimity of the Doctrine of Separation of Powers is realised when Legislature, Judiciary and Executive optimally function in tandem and togetherness, meticulously ensuring scrupulous adherence to their respective jurisdictional domains.
• Further, the Vice-President made reference to the 2015 verdict of the Supreme Court which struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) and the 99th Amendment, and asked how the judiciary struck down a unanimously-passed constitutional provision that reflected the will of the people.

Doctrine of Separation of Powers:

• It is a doctrine in which the three organs of the government, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary have separate functions and powers, and one organ does not interfere in the functioning of the others.
• There is a risk of poor management, corruption, nepotism, and the misuse of power when the government’s power is concentrated in a single hand.
• Therefore, the separation of powers is necessary to prevent authoritarian rule in the nation, foster efficient government, stop the legislature from passing arbitrary or unconstitutional legislation, and protect individual liberty.