India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
Mumbai: In a significant ruling on cross-border adoption, the Bombay High Court has refused to grant relief to an Indian couple seeking to adopt their nephew born in the United States, holding that the adoption cannot be processed under India's Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, as the child is a US citizen and not a "child in need of care and protection". A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Neela Gokhale dismissed the plea by the couple, who are Indian citizens residing in India, seeking directions to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) to register them as prospective adoptive parents on its CARINGS portal and issue a pre-approval letter to adopt the minor boy. The court refused to exercise its extraordinary jurisdiction to allow the adoption and said there is no "fundamental right" of the petitioners to adopt an American child and neither is there any violation of any fundamental right of the child of American nationality to be adopted by an Indian citizen. The child was born in California on July 2, 2019, to the wife's sister and brother-in-law, who are also Indian citizens but living in the US. The petitioners, unable to bear children, brought the child to India in October 2019 intending to adopt him through the Pune District Court under the JJ Act's provisions for "relative" adoption. However, CARA refused to register the couple, arguing that the JJ Act and the Adoption Regulations, 2022, do not provide for adoption of a foreign national child who does not fall into the categories of an orphan, abandoned, or surrendered child, or one in conflict with law. The petitioners contended that since the child resides in India with them and they are Indian citizens, the adoption should be treated as an in-country adoption. They also highlighted the child's growing vulnerability, citing concerns that his US passport may not be renewed without a valid adoption order, making his stay in India illegal. But the court ruled that "Section 56(2) of the JJ Act cannot operate independent of the Act itself" and applies only when the child is first declared to be in need of care and protection. "Even if the present adoption is treated as in-country, it must conform to the applicability of the parent Act," the bench noted. "There is no provision in the Juvenile Justice Act nor the Adoption Regulations providing for adoption of a child of foreign citizenship even between relatives unless the 'child is in need of care and protection' or a 'child is in conflict with law'," HC said. CARA's counsel submitted that the adoption can only be processed under US laws, or the child must acquire Indian citizenship. "There is no provision in the JJ Act or the Adoption Regulations providing for adoption of a foreign citizen by Indian relatives unless the child falls within the statutory categories," the court said.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Karnataka government and the Centre should resolve the issue in connection with the release of financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state for drought management. The matter came up before a bench comprising justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan. Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, requested the bench that he needed some time to file an affidavit in the matter. "You should resolve it," the bench said. During the hearing, the bench queried, how much amount has been released so far? ...Read More >
India is not a dharmashala (free shelter) that can entertain refugees from all over the world, the Supreme Court said today, refusing a Sri Lankan national's plea for refuge. The bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing a petition by a Sri Lankan national, who was arrested in 2015 on suspicion of being linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a terrorist organisation once active in Sri Lanka. In 2018, a trial court convicted him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and sentenced him to 10 years in jail. In 2022, the Madras High Court sla ...Read More >
New Delhi: In an open letter sharply condemning the detention and alleged expulsion to Bangladesh of a number of people declared foreigners by tribunals in Assam as a violation of their rights, a group of activists, lawyers and academics has urged the government to stop such expulsions and allow the return of those sent across the border. Dozens of those expelled to Bangladesh reportedly have appeals against their declaration as foreigners pending in the Supreme Court, the letter noted. "Pushbacks," said the letter using the term being used by the government for these expulsions, "fall on the ...Read More >
The Election Commission introduces new rules for voter enrollment. Voters enrolled after 2003-04 must now provide proof of citizenship. This includes a self-attested declaration and supporting documents. The move aims to remove illegal immigrants from the electoral roll. Bihar will be the first state to implement the special intensive revision. Other states will follow soon.In a move to identify and remove illegal immigrants wrongly included in the electoral rolls, the Election Commission has man ...Read More >
Sivasagar (Assam) [India], June 29 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday announced an exception for tea garden workers in the state's new Aadhaar card issuance policy, aiming to address the challenges faced by this community while maintaining stringent measures against illegal immigration. Speaking during a review visit to the Rang Ghar beautification project in Sivasagar, Sarma detailed the policy, which requires adult applicants to obtain Aadhaar cards only after satisfying the District Commissioner, except for tea garden workers, among whom nearly 50,000 adults are yet ...Read More >
Kochi: Edison Babu's neighbours in Muvattupuzha knew him as the quiet engineer who had returned home during the pandemic. The 35-year-old former auto industry professional seemed to lead an unremarkable life in this sleepy Kerala suburb, occasionally visiting the local post office with packages: nothing unusual for someone running what appeared to be a small online business. What they didn't know was that their mild-mannered neighbour had built India's most sophisticated darknet drug empire, one that relied heavily on the very government postal service that was meant to serve the community. ...Read More >
Bengaluru Power Cuts: Citizens of Bengaluru brace yourself for long hours of power outages from June 29 and June 30. More than 100 areas will be impacted as BESCOM undertakes its quarterly maintenance work in various of its division. Bengaluru Power Outages June 29: According to the update by BESCOM on its X handler, there will be power outages in Kittaganahalli, Palasandra, Saptagiri, Maruthinagar, Sankapur, Raghavendra Nagar, Goolarivee, Baddihalli, Kesaramadu, C.M Badawan, Kalalli and SKS village on June 29 from 10 am to 5 pm. BESCOM's executive engineer has appealed to consumers to coop ...Read More >
Amritsar: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey from Jharkhand has claimed that Britain assisted India in executing the 1984 Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, stoking a new controversy.In a post on X on Monday, Dubey alleged that then PM Indira Gandhi "launched an attack on the Golden Temple in collaboration with Britain", with British Army officers present in Amritsar.He uploaded a classified British document, "Sikh Community", claiming that on Feb 23, 1984, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office mentioned in a letter that the Indian govt had sought British advice over a plan to remove Si ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear petitions challenging the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar on July 10. The bench, however, refused to stay the ongoing exercise. Hearing a bunch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's exercise, a vacation bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi said the matter would be heard on Thursday. A battery of senior lawyers led by Kapil Sibal argued on behalf of a bunch of petitioners and said notices should be issued to the poll body. Challenging the poll body's exercise, ...Read More >
Karachi-born Shane Sabastian Pereira entered India to live in his ancestral village in Goa just four months after his birth, but it has taken him 43 years to obtain Indian citizenship. IMAGE: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant hands over the Indian citizenship certificate to the Karachi-born Shane Sabastian Pereira. Photograph: @DrPramodPSawant/X Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday handed over the Indian citizenship certificate to the Pakistan-born Christian man under the Citizenship (Ame ...Read More >
Mumbai, Dec 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Bombay High Court on Thursday pointedly asked the Maharashtra government if there was any restriction on celebrating the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan of Mysuru in Karnataka. The query came during a hearing of a plea filed All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Pune President Faiyaz Shaikh who was refused permission to carry out a procession to commemorate the birth anniversaries of Tipu Sultan, and Bharat Ratna Maulana Abul Kalam Azad last month along with the Constitution Day celebrations, at Baramati in Pune district. However, the Pune Rural ...Read More >
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], June 7 (ANI): Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the 'government of the day is handicapped' as it can't register a first information report and said that the three-decades-old judicial order provides a 'virtually impregnable cover'. The Vice-President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, today said, 'The Government of the day is handicapped. It can't register an FIR. Because there is a judicial order. And that judicial order is more than three decades old. It provides virtually impregnable cover. Unless permission is accorded by a functionary at the highest level in ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 3 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen Rs 12.71 crore in bank balances, fixed deposits, mutual funds and seized cash amounting to Rs 26 lakh apart from large number of incriminating documents and devices during searches conducted at 16 different locations across Mumbai in Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) scam, the agency said on Thursday. ED's Mumbai zonal office took the action during the raids carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, on July 1 in the case. Also Read | Gujarat Human Trafficking Cas ...Read More >
Kolkata, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The West Bengal unit of BJP, under the leadership of its new State party President Samik Bhattacharya is making all efforts to ensure a political rally in the state, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing it, before Trinamool Congress's annual Martyrs' day rally in Kolkata on July 21. An insider from the state committee of BJP said that the week before July 21, the Prime Minister is scheduled to go for an election campaign in Bihar where the Assembly polls are scheduled later this year. "We are trying hard so that the Prime Minister can spare some time ...Read More >
Panaji, Dec 10 (PTI) Karachi-born Shane Sabastian Pereira entered India to live in his ancestral village in Goa just four months after his birth, but it has taken him 43 years to obtain Indian citizenship. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday handed over the Indian citizenship certificate to the Pakistan-born Christian man under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Shane is the second person from the coastal state to receive the certificate, after Joseph Francis Pereira, another Pakistani citizen who was granted Indian citizenship in August this year. Shane, originally from Demello Wado ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Thursday said India has continuously aspired to become a hub of international arbitration by building a progressive legislative framework, a pro-enforcement judiciary and robust institutional support. In his keynote address on "Arbitrating Indo-UK Commercial Disputes" as part of the London International Disputes Week, the CJI said India and the United Kingdom shared a rich history, bound by a common legal heritage rooted in the principles of common law. He referred to the July 2018 memorandum of understanding signed between India and ...Read More >
VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Friday accorded approvals to a slew of industries. Among those are Krishnapatnam Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), which is set to establish a 350 MW Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Thamminapatnam and Mommidi villages of SPSR Nellore district with a Rs 1,225 crore investment, creating 575 jobs. Furthermore, the government also waived off a Rs 54 crore extension of time fee, contingent on project completion within two years as per the Andhra Pradesh Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024. The government also allocated 22.80 acres at MPSEZ in N ...Read More >
Digha: A day after Rath Yatra, the festive fervour continues in Digha as the seaside town is now gearing up to host Ulta Rath or the return journey of the deities from the 'Masir Bari' or the old Jagannath temple. On July 5 -- the Ulta Rath day -- hotels are hoping for fresh tourist influx. Though the deities are currently in Masir Bari, a large queue of devotees visited the newly-constructed Jagannath temple on Saturday. They offered prayers to the stone idol permanently installed there. It is the wooden idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra that have taken the chairot rides. Bipradash Cha ...Read More >
MUMBAI - Police have arrested a 40-year-old female English teacher at a well-known Mumbai school, accusing her of sexually abusing a 16-year-old male student several times over the past year. The teacher, who is married and has children, faces charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The school has not released a statement about the incident as of this report. Investigators said the woman worked as an English teacher and taught the boy during his time ...Read More >
Upendra Kushwaha, RLM leader and NDA ally, voiced concerns about the ECI's SIR exercise in Bihar, emphasizing the need to ensure no genuine voter is excluded. He suggested the ECI should have started the revision earlier, given the large population and migrant worker base. Kushwaha highlighted fears among migrant voters and those lacking required documents about potential voter list exclusion.Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) leader and NDA ally Upendra Kushwaha on Friday raised concerns regarding the S ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) recent directive mandating large sections of voters in Bihar to furnish proof of citizenship in order to remain on the electoral rolls. Filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the petition seeks to quash the ECI's June 24 order initiating a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. The plea argues that the directive violates constitutional provisions inclu ...Read More >
Guwahati: Manipur has established stringent protocols for issuing Aadhaar cards to adults, implementing comprehensive authentication processes and enhanced security protocols under which each adult Aadhaar application has to be mandatorily scrutinised and approved only at the level of state headquarters at the office of the special home secretary.State home commissioner N Ashok Kumar issued a statement noting, "One of the UIDAI officials present at the meeting (chaired by the governor at the Raj Bhavan) observed that Manipur's adult Aadhaar process is perhaps the most stringent in the country. ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare & Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday inaugurated the 11th edition of the India Maize Summit, organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in association with (IIMR) Indian Institute of Maize Research. Speaking at event, Chouhan emphasized that 'Farmers' sewa is our mool mantra,' reaffirming the government's commitment to farmer-centric policies. He outlined a multi-pronged strategy to boost maize production, and increase farmer incomes, while ensuring environme ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the Election Commission of India on the timing of the Special Intensive Revision drive in poll-bound Bihar saying it went to the "root of democracy and power to vote" while rejecting the argument that the poll panel did not have any power to carry it out. The ECI also justified the exercise and said Aadhaar wasn't a "proof of citizenship". A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi questioned Dwivedi over the exclusion of Aadhaar card in the SIR drive in Bihar and said the ECI had nothing to do with citizenship of ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], February 5 (ANI): Hundreds of Pakistani Hindu refugees who have been living in Delhi cast their votes for the first time after being granted citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act. This marked a powerful moment in their journey from statelessness to citizenship. Interacting with ANI after exercising their voting rights, refugees expressed their happiness and said that they feel proud of being citizen of the country. Dhanwanti, one of the Pakistani refugees, now an Indian voter, said, "We came here from Pakistan...I voted for the first time here in India...I am fe ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 2 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a petition alleging that the Assam government has reportedly launched a "sweeping and indiscriminate drive" to deport persons suspected to be foreigners to Bangladesh. A vacation bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma asked the All BTC Minority Students Union (ABMSU) to approach the Gauhati High Court for appropriate relief. Also Read | INR 2,000 Currency Notes Worth INR 6,181 Crore Still in Circulation After Withdrawal 2 Years Ago, Reveals RBI Data. The petitioner said that the state of Ass ...Read More >
After the banned CPI (Maoist)'s general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju was killed in an encounter between Maoists and security forces on May 22, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that Naxalism will be eliminated from the country by March 31, 2026. In the Congress-ruled Telangana, however, B Mahesh Kumar Goud, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president, says that the government should not use iron fist to wipe out Maoists but deal with them through "legal and constitutional means". He has urged the Centre to hold "peace talks" with the Maoists and declare ...Read More >
Gurgaon: MCG additional commissioner Yash Jaluka directed bulk waste generators (BWG) across the city to ensure proper disposal of waste by private agencies who are assisting them. Giving these instructions in a meeting held on Friday, he said it is often observed that BWGs hand over their waste to private agencies, which only sort valuable items and dump the remaining waste on roads, drains, vacant land or public places. This, he said, not only affects cleanliness of the city but also poses a threat to public health."Under the Solid Waste Management Rules-2016, it is the legal and moral respo ...Read More >
Imphal, Jul 2 (PTI) Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday asserted the urgent need for strict verification mechanisms and close coordination between Aadhaar issuing authorities, ILP enforcement agencies, and local administrative bodies to ensure that identity documents are issued only to those who are rightfully entitled. In a post on X, Singh wrote: "I appreciate the enhanced measures undertaken by the State Government to strengthen and streamline the Aadhaar issuance process in Manipur. These efforts are critical to safeguarding our integrity and identity." Also Read | H ...Read More >