Current Position With Respect To The Provisions Contained Under Chapter X XI XII Of The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019

On 9th August, 2019 the Motor Vehicles Act (Amendment)Act, 2019 was published in the Gazette of India (hereinafter referred as 'the Amendment Act). By this amendment, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (hereinafter referred as 'the Principal Act) has been drastically amended. The Government of India wanted to bring about what was known as Road Transport and Safety Statute but it had many road blocks and, therefore, in the year 2019 instead of reintroducing Road Safety Bill, amendments were...

Making CLAT Accessible To Visually Challenged Aspirants

IntroductionWhile delivering the valedictory address at a summit concerning Legal Professionals with Disabilities, Justice DY Chandrachud expressed concern that the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) and other law entrance tests in India neglect the needs of disabled students, thereby excluding them from the legal profession. Noting these observations, the president of the Consortium, Prof. Faizan Mustafa, issued a statement saying that the possibility of alternative questions in CLAT...

Integration Of Ayurveda Into Modern Medicine: Mixopathy- The Unrealistic And Unguided Mixing

The recent changes brought into the Indian Medicine Central Council(Post Graduate Ayurveda Education)Regulations, 2016 framed in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 36(1)(i), (j) and (k) of Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 and in supersession of the Indian Medicine Central Council(Post Graduate Education) Regulations, 1979 and the Indian Medicine Central Council(Post Graduate Ayurveda Education) Regulations, 2012 has sparked controversy and confusion among medicos and...

Allahabad High Court's Contribution In Protecting The Human Rights And Personal Liberties Of The People

The High Court of Allahabad is making a great contribution towards the cause of protecting the human rights and personal liberties of the people during these difficult Corona times when they need more judicial protection from the executive excesses. In many cases, the High Court of Allahabad has delivered landmark verdicts that have strengthened the rule of law in the state and reminded the government about its constitutional duties to protect people's fundamental rights and dignity as per...

Constitutional Validity Of The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition Of Unlawful Conversion Of Religion Ordinance 2020

The Governor of Uttar Pradesh has promulgated the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 with the aim of prohibiting 'unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage'. The haste with which the legislation has been passed and enforced directs to the approach of the government towards minorities, which is stated by the Chief Minister in...

The Supreme Court Really Let Us Down. No Wisdom, No Courage!

The title was tweeted by the outgoing US President Donald Trump soon after the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) refused to entertain a plea brought by the State of Texas challenging the win of President Elect Joe Biden in the States where Trump expected to win, but lost. The reaction of Donald Trump to the election loss is for all to see, and not uncharacteristic of Donald Trump – even though uncharacteristic of leaders of a democracy. Back home, when Prime Minister Indira...

Property Rights: A Conversation Whose Time Is Now

As multitudes of migrant workers took to the streets to walk hundreds of kilometres away from India's cities, even as the COVID-lockdown had compelled everyone else to stay in their homes, it inevitably brought to fore the scale of the housing crises[1] [2] which plagues some of the major cities and towns in India. In response, the government announced a slew of measures including the affordable rental housing scheme[3], while a few state governments turned their attention to land...

Transitional Provision: A Light On Hit-And-Run Mechanism Under The GST Law

Indirect Tax regime witnessed a paradigm shift with the Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as the 'GST Act' in short) coming into force w.e.f 01st July, 2017. What is officially known as the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016, the GST Act, conferred concurrent taxing power on the Union as well as the State Government including Union Territory with legislature to make laws for levying tax on every transaction of supply of goods or services or...

Reconstructing The 'Right To Shelter'

In India, where majority of the population belongs from the rural areas, and the wealth is endowed with only 2 to 3% of the financial holders. It is expected that the most valuable thing one owns, is the shelter over their head, which acts as a dignified shield. The debate around 'Right to shelter' has always been tabled in context with the poor or the vulnerable class, because they are mostly exploited and neglected by the stake holders. Recently, the Karnataka High Court directed the...

'Legal Framework Around Blockchain Technology Applications'- Justice Prathiba Singh

In ancient times, when democratic societies were yet to evolve and provinces were ruled by chieftains or local kings, messages that were to be conveyed from one king to another king or from one chieftain to another, were sent through a series of messengers. The recipient of the message would first check the authenticity of the message and verify the genuinity of the messenger by asking for a code. It is only if the messenger was able to give the correct code that the message would be...

Equality For One Or For All?

'All animals are born equal but some are more equal than others.' George Orwell's observation about the animal farm rings true for the current state of Indian society too. It aptly summates the deep socio-economic and political disparities prevailing among the citizenry. The democratic value and constitutional principle of equality is time and again being binned by the state's institutions and processes. The long term fall out of the absence of equality from both the animal...

Need For More Kannabirans Felt Now With Ever Increasing Human Rights Violations : Justice K Chandru

[This lecture was delivered on 7 December 2020 as part of the KG Kannabiran Lectures on Law, Justice and Human Rights – organised by the family of KG Kannabiran (1929-2010) to celebrate his life, his work and its futures]. [Abstract: Justice K. Chandru, recalling his association with KG Kannabiran, speaks on the importance of trial courts, advocates' strikes, violence against civil liberties campaigners and advocates, Emergency, encounter killings by the police and the incident of...