Lines That Blur: Recognition, Legitimacy, And India's Afghan Equation

After the second world war many colonies got independence. Some existed earlier as political entities or protectorates but gained international recognition post-war. The colonizers left few of these States with unsettled disputes over territories on which the struggle is still on. Some of States like Bangladesh was born much later than the decolonization era by cessation from Pakistan in, 1971. To recognise a State then became a practical necessity. India was the fist Country to recognize...

"This Bench Is Dissolved"

On the morning of 12th November 1975, with these words, Chief Justice A.N. Ray dissolved a bench of thirteen Judges that had been reviewing the seminal judgment of Kesavananda Bharati[2] – only five days after the judgment of the Supreme Court in Indira Gandhi[3] on the 7th of November 1975 – which applied the basic structure doctrine for the first time to test the validity of a constitutional amendment. It was not long ago, on 24th of April 1973 that a bench of thirteen Judges in Kesavananda...

Adolescents And Consent

Childhood can be described as that period of human existence, where one experiences the world, as magical realism, not because the fantastical is narrated as the ordinary, like in books, but because the ordinary is experienced as fantastical in life. However, the lack of experience and knowledge that makes every new experience seem like magic, also makes children vulnerable to bad things, bad people, and bad consequences. Therefore, the law has created separate categories for children both as...

Re-Arrest After Illegal Arrest: A Second Chance Police Shouldn't Get

The Supreme Court's 2024 rulings in Prabir Purkayastha v. Union of India and Pankaj Bansal v. Union of India have left no room for ambiguity that the communication of grounds of arrest or detention is not a procedural nicety but a constitutional necessity. The Court emphatically held that an arrest without such communication is illegal in the eyes of law.Building on this, the Supreme Court in Vihaan Kumar v. State of Haryana (2025) went a step further, reminding magistrates of their duty to...

Attendance, Classes And Law Students: Rethinking The 75% Rule In Indian Legal Education

“Debarred list,” “shortage of attendance,” and “not eligible for exam” — these are words that every law student in India has come to know too well. The 75% attendance rule, mandated by the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the University Grants Commission (UGC), was originally intended to promote regularity and discipline. However, what was once meant to encourage classroom engagement has today turned into a rigid barrier that often punishes students more than it educates them. Across law colleges,...

Post-Acquittal Remedies Under BNSS: Contrasting Full-Fledged Trial Acquittals And Preliminary Stage Acquittals

The landscape of criminal justice in India underwent significant transformation with the enactment of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which replaced the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973. While procedural reforms have modernized the criminal justice apparatus, fundamental principles governing acquittals and their legal consequences remain anchored in established jurisprudence. This article examines the differential treatment accorded to acquittals under BNSS based on the stage...

The Secret Life Of India's 'Missing' Records

It's quite common to see Right to Information (RTI) applications being filed to obtain certain information, only to receive the standard response that the file has gone missing. Consider a case where a citizen files an RTI application seeking a copy of the sanctioned plans of a cooperative society, records of which should ideally be in the custody of the Corporation. Backdrop of the application: society opted for redevelopment, the applicant being a minority member with a commercial unit has...

Courts, Crackers, And Clean Air: The Legal Battle Over Celebration Vs. Sustainability

“Each Diwali's glow fades into a haze of smog – children stay indoors, expectant mothers, the elderly, and even the animals struggle to breathe. Amidst the conflict with right to celebrate festivities and joy, the right to breathe clean air must prevail.”The Environmental jurisprudence surrounding regulations, legislations and landmark judgements of Supreme Court and High Courts and Green Tribunals with regards to firecrackers in India, evolved a profound journey of the judiciary with India...

Verdict Is Final, But Judge Still Speaks

Former Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud's comments on the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issue, reported in an interview with Sreenivasan Jain, have reignited national debate. One of the statements that gained notice was his description of the mosque's construction as a “fundamental act of desecration,” along with his view that archaeological evidence supported this conclusion (Staff, 2025).These statements, coming from someone who once occupied the highest seat in the judiciary, carry more weight...

Beyond Marriage | Navigating Protection, Maintenance, And Equity In India's Evolving Social Landscape

When Anjali and Rajesh moved in together in Pune five years ago, they considered it a natural progression of their relationship. They shared expenses, responsibilities, and even rented a home jointly. However, when the relationship ended abruptly, Anjali was left struggling to pay the rent and manage her life alone. Confused and anxious, she wondered whether she had any legal recourse. Stories like hers are increasingly common in urban India, where social norms are shifting faster than legal...

From Planting Saplings And Serving Cows To Tying Rakhi: A Look At Bizarre Bail Conditions Imposed By High Courts

Recently, the Supreme Court set aside a Madhya Pradesh High Court order suspending the sentence of a murder convict, holding that the condition imposed -requiring the appellant to plant ten saplings of fruit-bearing, neem, or peepal trees “as a matter of social cause” -cannot withstand the test of bail jurisprudence. The Court expressed displeasure over such directions, observing that reformative measures or acts of social responsibility cannot serve as standalone substitutes for the statutory...

Intersectional Injustice In India's GST Regime

A few years ago, Renu, a transgender woman, was pushed out of a moving bus by angry passengers while she was begging for alms. The fall injured her legs, left her immobile, and limited her social and economic life. For Renu, a mobility vehicle signifies her hope to regain access to community and livelihood opportunities. However, with effect from October 8th, the GST Concession Certificate Scheme for Persons with Disabilities was discontinued, which previously allowed purchase of mobility...