OCI Rights: Supreme Court Urges 'Higher Echelons' To Examine 2021 MHA Notification Considering Impact On Indian Diaspora

The Supreme Court, on Friday, upheld the notification issued by the Central Government in 2021 - which took away the rights of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) category students to apply for general seats and confined their right only to Non-Resident Indians (NRI) category seats, but with prospective effect.Noting that the 2021 notification would have a ‘wide ramification’, a Bench...

Tax Authorities Should Maintain Discipline To Follow Decisions Of Higher Authorities : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court, recently, observed that in order to avoid utter chaos in administration of tax laws, decisions made by higher authorities ought to be adhered to. It noted that if the decisions of higher authorities are not followed, the same would also lead to undue harassment of assessees."Unless the discipline of adhering to decisions made by the higher authorities is maintained, there...

From Beedi Factory Worker In Kerala To Judge In USA: Inspirational Journey Of Surendran K Pattel

Life will always throw challenges your way but what matters is how you come out of it. People who have fought it all and reached the top are always an inspiration to many. One such person is Surendran K Pattel — the 240th Judicial District Court judge in Texas’ Fort Bend County.An Indian by origin, Pattel hails from a remote village in Kerala called Balal and had to face a lot of...

'Democracy Has Nowhere Collapsed Due To Judiciary Overprotecting Human Rights' : Arvind Datar Defends Basic Structure Doctrine

While delivering the 19th Justice P. D. Desai Memorial Lecture on the topic 'Fifty Years of Basic Structure - Judicial Overreach or Constitutional Necessity', Senior Advocate Arvind Datar on Saturday said that the basic structure does not act as a stumbling block or thwart an elected government's proposal for social reform. He also said that the Supreme Court has never come in the way of...

‘Delhi Police Roped Them As Scapegoats, Prosecution Launched In Cavalier Fashion’: Court Discharges Sharjeel Imam, Others In 2019 Jamia Violence Case

Discharging Sharjeel Imam, Safoora Zargar, Asif Iqbal Tanha and eight others in 2019 Jamia violence case, a Delhi Court on Saturday observed that the police was unable to apprehend “actual perpetrators” and “surely managed to rope them (accused) as scapegoats” in the matter.Pulling up the prosecution for filing “ill-conceived chargesheets”, Additional Sessions Judge Arul...

Right to Die: Supreme Court Makes It Easier For Persons To Opt For Passive Euthanasia; Simplifies 2018 Guidelines On Living Will/Advance Directive

The Supreme Court has modified the slew of directions relating to advance medical directives, or living wills issued in a 2018 judgement that had recognised the right to die with dignity as an inextricable facet of the right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution, and had, accordingly, upheld the legal validity of passive euthanasia. The modification order was passed by...

Centre vs Collegium : Supreme Court Warns Centre May Face 'Unpalatable' Action If Transfer Proposals Are Not Approved Soon

The Supreme Court, on Friday, stated in no unclear terms, that it would be constrained to take ‘unpalatable’ judicial as well as administrative actions if there is any further delay on the part of the Union Government in considering the recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium for transfer of judges. On the last date of hearing, the same concern was echoed by the Bench...

Pending Recommendations To Appoint 5 SC Judges Will Be Cleared Soon : AG Tells Supreme Court

The Attorney General for India R Venkataramani on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the Central Government will very soon clear the recommendations forwarded by the Supreme Court collegium in December 2022 to elevate five High Court judges to the Supreme Court.Replying to a query raised by the Court regarding the status of the pending recommendations, the AG assured that warrants...

Supreme Court Asks Centre To Produce Original Records Relating To Order Blocking BBC's Documentary On Modi

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on petitions challenging the Centre's decision to block the public access to BBC's documentary "India : The Modi Question".A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh also directed that the Centre should produce the original records relating to the order on the next date of hearing, which will be in April 2023.The bench was considering...

On First Principles, SC Collegium’s Recommendation To Elevate A Party Leader As A High Court Judge May Be Flawed

The Supreme Court Collegium, even while appearing to stand up to the Government in the ongoing tug of war for primacy over appointments of Judges to the Higher Judiciary, may actually be losing the perception battle with regard to adherence to the first principles.One such first principle is that candidates, who openly owe allegiance to political parties, ought not to be considered for elevation to the High Court Benches. This is not to suggest that membership of a political party is itself a...

Supreme Court Issues Directions To Avoid Delay In Release Of Prisoners After Getting Bail [Read 7 Directions]

The Supreme Court has issued the following guidelines on the issue of undertrial prisoners who continue to be in custody despite having been granted the benefit of bail on account of their inability to fulfill the conditions stipulated in the bail order or otherwise. “1)The Court which grants bail to an undertrial prisoner/convict would be required to send a soft copy of the bail order...

Union Budget 2023 : FM Announces Increase Of Rebate Limit; No Income Tax For Persons With Income Upto Rs 7 Lakhs In New Regime

In a major budget announcement helping the salaried middle class, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the proposal to raise the income tax rebate level to Rs 7 lakhs per annum from Rs 5 lakhs per annum."Currently, those with income upto 5 lakhs do not pay any income tax in both old and new regimes. I propose to increase the rebate limit to 7 lakhs in the new tax...