PIL In SC For Stronger, More Independent Election Commission Of India [Read Petition]

A PIL has been filed before the Supreme Court for strengthening the Election Commission of India making it more independent while also providing protection to the Election Commissioners at par with the Chief Election Commissioner.The PIL has been filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking direction to the Centre to “take appropriate steps to confer rule making authority on the...

SC Stays Allahabad HC Order Directing Govt. To Remove Water Purifiers From Govt. Offices For Installing In Girls’ Institutions [Read Order]

The Supreme Court has ‘stayed’ a direction in the Allahabad High Court order that had ordered removal of RO systems (water purifier) from the residence or office of government officers.While hearing a public interest litigation, the Allahabad High Court had cautioned the government that if necessary water purifiers are not installed in girls’ institution as per its directives, all...

CJI Refuses Permission To Raise ‘Vande Mataram’ Issue

“No sorry. Vande Mataram is  not the issue before us but national anthem. An intervenor can only contribute or debate an issue which is before us. He cannot expand the scope of the petition pending before us..no sorry. We will not hear you. All here are in agreement that vande mataram issue need not be debated”, Chief Justice Dipak MisraWhile hinting that it might recall its earlier...

SC Has Second Thoughts On its Order On National Anthem, But Leaves It To The Government To Decide [Read Order]

In the end, Justice D.Y.Chandrachud prevailed over the Chief Justice, Dipak Misra. But only partly.  As the National Anthem case came up for hearing before the three-Judge bench of the Chief Justice, and Justices D.Y.Chandrachud and A.M.Khanwilkar,  differences between the Chief Justice, Dipak Misra and Justice Chandrachud came out into the open on the relevance of the Court’s interim...

Godhra Riot Gang-Rape Case: Gujarat Govt Told To Apprise SC Of Departmental Action On Convicted Cops, Doctors

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Monday told the Gujarat government to apprise the court whether it had initiated any departmental action against six police officers and two doctors involved in a 2002-post Godhra riots gangrape case in the state.The court directed the Gujarat state government counsel to file the status report within four weeks.The court...

Do State Commissions For Women Actually Exist? Asks SC [Read Order]

Dealing with the issue of precarious conditions faced by destitute widows living across the country, the Supreme Court recently asked the Centre if State Commissions for Women (SCW) actually exist.During a recent hearing, a Bench comprising Justice M.B. Lokur, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Justice Deepak Gupta lamented the lack of response received from the States in the matter."We make it...

Legal Profession Needs Independent Body For Regulation of Fee and Ethics: Centre & SC

The Centre and the Apex Court are reportedly in favor of establishing an independent body for regulation of ethics in the legal profession.As per an ET Report, at a recent meeting attended by the representatives from both sides, the need for regulation of professional fees was also recognized.“Regulatory framework of the legal profession needs a review. There is need to regulate...

Petition Filed Before Rajasthan HC Challenging Ordinance Shielding Public Servants From Probe [Read Petition]

A Writ Petition has been filed before Rajasthan High Court, challenging the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, which makes it mandatory to obtain a Government sanction before investigating both serving and former Judges, Magistrates, and public servants for on-duty actions.Promulgated on 7 September, the Ordinance provides a time limit of 180 days for the authorities to...

It Is Not Possible To Issue Any Advisory To The State Governments To Prioritise Care For Thalassemia Patients, Centre Tells SC

In a counter-affidavit filed by the Centre before the Supreme Court, the Central Government, through the National Health Mission Section, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has claimed that “public health and hospitals” is a State subject falling under Entry No.6 List II of Sechedule Seven of the Constitution, and therefore, it is the primary responsibility of the State...

Lawyer Moves SC For Restraining Mobile Operators From Collecting Aadhaar Details Of Subscribers

A Petition has been filed in Supreme Court of India seeking a direction to the Department of Telecom and to various telecom operators to stop misleading the public as to the requirement of Aadhaar being the only means of authentication for proof of Identity and proof of Address by an erroneous and malafide interpretation of Supreme Court order in Loknithi Foundation Case.The petition filed...

"Most Self-Financing Institutes Are Turning Into Concentration Camps": Jishnu Pranoy's Mother Demands CBI Probe [Read Application]

Almost nine months after Jishnu Pranoy, a first-year engineering student at Nehru College in Thrissur District, was found dead in his college under mysterious circumstances, his mother Mahija has approached the Apex Court demanding an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).In an Intervention Application filed through Advocate Jaimon Andrews, Ms. Mahija claims to have...

Mandatory To Link Aadhaar With Bank Account: RBI Clarifies

The Reserve Bank of India, on Saturday, clarified that linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts is mandatory.A Press Release issued by the RBI states:"Some news items have appeared in a section of the media quoting a reply to a Right to Information Act application that Aadhaar number linkage with bank accounts is not mandatory.The Reserve Bank clarifies that, in applicable cases, linkage of...