High Courts Weekly Round-up

Allahabad High CourtThe High Court of Allahabad on Tuesday directed the Varanasi administration to file its response on a Petition alleging that the Government departments in a particular block of the District were neglecting malnourished children and not providing them with nutrition as per norms.Bombay High CourtDismissing an appeal against an order of the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal...

CIC Directs Disclosure Of Numeric Data Of Officers Facing Corruption Charges [Read Order]

The Central Information Commission recently directed the Government to disclose numeric details of pending as well as disclosed Departmental/ Vigilance/ Court cases against the employees of various departments.“Disclosure of such data shall serve as a tool in better governance and thus undoubtedly serves larger public interest,” Information Commissioner Yashovardhan Azad opined. He,...

Bombay HC Denies Relief To Father Who Sought Son’s College Admission Without Giving Aadhaar Details

The Bombay High Court has rejected a petition by a father seeking to get his meritorious son re-admitted to Second Year Junior College at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, without an Aadhaar card.A division bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice Riyaz Chagla was hearing a writ petition filed by one John Abrahim, who has a minor son Isaac.Isaac secured admission in First Year Junior College at...

Procedure For Intimating Aadhaar Number To I-T Department Notified

The Central Board of Direct Taxes, in compliance with Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act, has notified the procedure for intimating Aadhaar number to the Income Tax Department. The same can be done online, via SMS or through designated PAN service centres.The manner in which the Aadhaar number has to be provided is also specified in the notification.Though no charges would be levied for SMS...

10% Basic Customs Duty Imposed On Mobile Phones, Charger, Battery Etc

The government has constituted an inter-ministerial committee, comprising officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Commerce, Department of Telecommunication and Department of Revenue, to identify electronic, IT and telecom products that are not bound by the first generation of the Information Technology Agreement for customs duty...

Exempted Services Under UTGST Act Notified

The Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, in exercise of its powers under the Union Territory Goods and Services (UTGST) Act 2017, has exempted certain services under the aforementioned Act. The same shall be effective from tomorrow, i.e. July 1.Services provided to Central, state, union territory and local bodies, services by way of pure labour works, including construction, erection...

CIC Slams PIO For Denying Pending Case Details Citing ‘Non-Availability Of Files’

Central Information Commissioner Prof M Sridhar Acharyalu, in the case of Vijendra Singh Jafa vs PIO, MOSJE, has slammed the PIO for refusing to provide information sought on grounds of non-availability of the files in question and also made recommendations to the Department of Personnel and Training, the nodal agency for the implementation of the Right to Information Act.RTI applicant VS...

Delhi Assembly Passes Resolution to Reserve 85% Seats in DU for Local Students

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday reportedly passed a unanimous resolution to reserve 85% seats for students belonging to Delhi in the colleges funded by the Delhi government, which are affiliated to the Delhi University (DU).The resolution, moved by Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia, stated, “Delhi government, fully or partially, funds 28 of the 110 affiliated institutes. The money...

MP HC Dismisses Appeal of Rape Convict Filed 20 years Back [Read Judgment]

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has held the law does not enjoin that the court shall adjourn the case if both the appellant and his lawyer are absent.With this observation the court has decided the 20-year-old criminal appeal filed by a person convicted in a rape case in absence of his lawyer on the date of hearing.While deciding the appeal, Justice Sushil Kumar Palo said “this criminal...

Bombay HC Asks MCA Whether IPL Falls Under Sports Or Commercial Activity Category

The Bombay High Court on Friday sought to know from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) whether IPL was a sports or commercial activity.This question was posed by a bench of Justice AS Oka and Justice Vibha Kankanwadi while hearing a PIL filed by Loksatta Movement, which was filed last year, highlighting water woes faced by the people of Maharashtra, especially during drought.As a result of...

Campaign Against Aadhaar Picks Up Momentum Across India

Various organisations and people's movements, including Right to Food Campaign India, Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan, Right to Food Campaign Karnataka, Nir Aadhaar Collective, PUCL, and Rethink Aadhaar organised events in different districts towns and cities on Friday in protest against being forced to get services through Aadhaar.The government's notifications making Aadhaar mandatory...

Bombay HC Prevents Forest Dept From Shooting Tigress That Killed Two Persons [Read Judgment]

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has quashed an order passed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife, directing a tigress, which killed two and injured two persons, to be shot dead.The bench of Justice BP Dharmakdhikari and Justice Rohit Deo were hearing a PIL filed by Dr. Jerrvi Avinash Banait, who contended that procedures established and prescribed by the National...