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: Bombay high court on Wednesday appointed an expert committee to consider the impact that pigeon feeding and their droppings have on public health. The second point of reference for the panel is that if it is "found that the feeding of pigeons adversely affects public health, whether the activity can be permitted in a regulated manner without compromising public health or places to be designated and the nature of the regulations?""It is eminently in the larger public interest that such an expert committee is constituted," the HC said. It continued its interim orders against the feeding of pigeons, but allowed BMC to decide on pleas from activists and the Dadar Kabutarkhana Trust to allow controlled feeding.BMC said it intended to allow feeding between 6am and 8am at Dadar Kabutarkhana."You (BMC) cannot just allow feeding now once you have already taken a closure decision keeping public health in mind. You will have to take a well-considered decision," HC observed. "Once an application is received, you need to issue a notice and invite objections from people and then make a decision. Once you have taken a decision keeping people's health in mind, you need to maintain that sanctity," the division bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Arif Doctor added.Advocate general Birendra Saraf, who was requested by HC to assist in the matter and suggest names for the expert panel, produced a list that included pulmonologists Dr Sujit Rajan, who had advocated the closure of public feeding sites in his recent opinion, and Dr Amita Athavale, who had advocated a multi-disciplinary approach to verify the health hazards posed by congregations of pigeons, as well as an immunologist, a microbiologist, and a professor of veterinary science.Saraf mentioned that when deciding on feeders' requests, the BMC chief can insert a condition requiring the applicants to approach HC for permission to remove the tarpaulin at Dadar kabutarkhana. He added that the state is fully committed to protecting public health, but the possibility of regulated feeding without compromising health also needs to be explored.BMC submitted that on receiving the trust's plea, it was inclined to allow regulated feeding by imposing strict conditions, including washing the area after feeding pigeons, among others. Senior counsel Anil Sakhare for the Dadar Kabutarkhana Trust said his clients were willing to give an undertaking to that effect.Justice Kulkarni orally told the BMC lawyer, "You have already covered the areas, so ensure feeding cannot be allowed on the road and the decision cannot be in the teeth of the court order. It is not that only petitioners are concerned. It is your (BMC) duty that when it is an issue of public interest, you have to issue notice and seek objections from the public at large. You have not issued a public notice. Take appropriate steps. Once it is about public health interest, then it is not only about one person turning up and applying for feeding, but it also affects society at large, including residents and passersby."The bench further stated, "You (BMC) have to take a duly considered decision considering public health and rights assured in the Constitution. You should have issued notice and given the opportunity to people. You cannot decide the fate of the public at large without considering their objections. Invite objections, put your email address on notice... You have to maintain the sanctity of the public order."The judges further said, "It is imperative that the municipal commissioner takes an informed decision in accordance with the law on these applications of the petitioners. Let the steps to be taken in that regard be set into motion by the municipal corporation. We permit all the stakeholders to submit their views to the civic chief, which shall be taken into consideration, and all such issues which may be raised need to be addressed in detail."
Story so far: India celebrated its 75th year of adoption of its Constitution on Tuesday (November 26, 2024) with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint session of parliament. While the Constitution of India hits its diamond jubilee this year, event commemorating is as 'Constitution Day' was started only in 2015. Prior to this, it was called 'National Law Day' -- first initiated by former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Laxmi Mall Singhvi in 1979. "The Indian Constitution is a live, progressive document," said Ms. Murmu adding, "I urge all citizens to imbibe the constitutio ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were recovered from your premises," the Supreme Court on Wednesday told former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, held in an alleged cash-for-job scam in the state. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, which reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Chatterjee, questioned the enforcement directorate (ED) over his continued incarceration saying he cannot be kept inside for an indefinite period. "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of Rupees were recovered from your premises. Wha ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congress on Wednesday gave a notice to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the Lok Sabha to discuss the recent statements made by a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court. "I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the house for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance, namely:- The recent statements made by a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court..." said K. Suresh, Congress MP and party's Chief Whip in the Lower Hosue. He said in the notice ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jan 27 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Monday suggested Abhishek Lodha and his brother Abhinandan Lodha to try and amicably resolve the issue over the use of 'Lodha' trademark. The Abhishek Lodha-promoted Macrotech Developers Ltd earlier this month filed a suit in the HC against Abhinandan Lodha's real estate firm, House of Abhinandan Lodha, claiming the name 'Lodha' was their trademark and no one else could use it. The suit sought Rs 5,000 crore as damages from Abhinandan Lodha's company. In an interim application, Macrotech Developers sought a perpetual injunction against the defen ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], February 10 (ANI): The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday said that appeals challenging the acquittals of accused persons in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases need to be filed seriously by prosecution agencies and not just for the sake of it. A bench of justices, Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, was informed by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, who represented the Delhi Police, that the state has asked prosecuting agencies to file Special Leave Petitions (SLPs). Also Read | UP Shocker: Woman Strangulates 2 Daughters, Attempts to Kill Self After Domestic Dispute With ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday cancelled the bail granted to former Karnataka minister Vinay Kulkarni in connection with a 2016 case related to the murder of BJP worker Yogesh Gowda. A bench of justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma passed the order while noting that there was sufficient material on record to suggest that attempts were made by Kulkarni to either contact the witnesses or alternatively, influence them. "Keeping in mind the totality of circumstances, this court is of the considered opinion that the bail granted to the respondent (Kulkarni) ought to ...Read More >
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The MSC IRINA, recognised as the world's largest container ship by TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) capacity, is set to dock at the Adani Group's Vizhinjam International Seaport on Monday and will be berthed till Tuesday. The monumental arrival marks a significant milestone for the seaport, which was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2. The MSC IRINA boasts an impressive capacity of 24,346 TEUs, making it a formidable player in global shipping. With a length of 399.9 metres and a width of 61.3 metres, the vessel is approximate ...Read More >
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 27 (ANI): A female student was allegedly gang-raped inside a law college in Kolkata's Kasba on Wednesday evening. The police have arrested all three accused within 24 hours. The three accused, named as Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), were former students or staff members of the same law college. Also Read | Student Gang-Raped at South Kolkata Law College: Police Arrest 3 Youths for Sexually Assaulting Young Woman Inside Law College. According to the police, the accused named in the FIR will be produced before the A.C.J. ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (November 26, 2024), indicated a level of hypocrisy attached to criticism about Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), saying ""EVMs are tampered when you lose and fine if you win". The oral remark was made by Justice Vikram Nath before dismissing a petition filed by evangelist K.A. Paul, who urged for a judicial order to return to paper ballots. Also read:EVM-VVPAT case | Cannot disclose 'source code' of EVMs, will result in misuse: Supreme Court Justice Nath, during the hearing, asked Mr. Paul whether he wanted to turn the court into a political arena. Mr. Paul sa ...Read More >
Mumbai: The death toll in Monday's BEST bus crash rose to seven and the number of injured to 42 even as the driver, Sanjay More, booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, claimed he had noticed a spark and mistakenly accelerated the bus instead of applying brakes. Seeking More's custody, police said they want to investigate if he intentionally used the vehicle as a weapon. The bus on Route 332 had accelerated on a congested 200m stretch near Kurla station hitting vehicles and pedestr ...Read More >
KOLKATA: The Calcutta high court on Friday directed protesting teachers and other staff of West Bengal government-run and -aided schools, who lost their jobs due to a Supreme Court ruling, to shift their protest venue in the interest of public convenience.The court also limited the number of participants to 200 at any given time.Hearing petitions filed by the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum, under whose banner the protest is being organised, and the state government, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh ordered the protesters to move to Central Park in Salt Lake, located opposite Bikash Bhavan, the state' ...Read More >
Hyderabad, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Telangana's former Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief T. Prabhakar Rao, a key accused in the phone tapping case, returned from the United States on Sunday. He is likely to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Monday as per the undertaking given to the Supreme Court. The retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, who has been in the United States for 14 months, returned to India as directed recently by the apex court. He recently gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court that he will return to India soon after receiving emergency trav ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 26 (PTI) Several benches of the Bombay High Court have recused from hearing HDFC Bank CEO and MD Sashidhar Jagdishan's plea to quash an FIR of cheating and fraud registered against him on a complaint filed by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust. While some judges cited having worked with either the Trust or the lawyers appearing for it, one judge on Thursday voluntarily disclosed that he held few shares of the HDFC Bank. Senior counsel Amit Desai appearing for Jagdishan said they do not have an objection with the same but counsel Niteen Pradhan appearing for the Trust took ...Read More >
New Delhi: A 90-day nationwide mediation campaign to resolve pending disputes across courts -- from district courts to high courts -- will begin on July 1, the Supreme Court's mediation and conciliation project committee (MCPC) and the national legal services authority (NALSA) announced on Thursday. The campaign, Mediation for the Nation, will be organised under the guidance of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R. Gavai, patron of NALSA, along with NALSA executive chairman and senior Supreme Court judge, Justice Surya Kant. A release issued by the Supreme Court said that the pan-India cam ...Read More >
The Supreme Court overturned a Madras High Court decision. The high court had refused to dismiss defamation charges against Union minister L Murugan. Murugan faced these charges over statements made in 2020. The Supreme Court accepted Murugan's argument. He said he did not intend to defame the Murasoli Trust. The case is now closed.The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed criminal defamation proceedings against Union minister L Murugan on a complaint filed by the Chennai-based Murasoli Trust for his ...Read More >
The Supreme Court halted new temple-mosque legal battles. The court will review the 1991 law impacting religious site status. This law froze the status of religious sites as of August 15, 1947. Several cases, including Gyanvapi and Shahi Idgah, challenge this law. The law's validity is being questioned. The court's decision impacts ongoing and future disputes.In its ruling on the keenly-watched Place of Worship Act case, the Supreme Court said on December 12 that no new Mandir-Masjid suits are to ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Telangana's former Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief T Prabhakar Rao, a key accused in the phone tapping case, returned from the United States on Sunday, June 8. He is likely to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Monday as per the undertaking given to the Supreme Court. The retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, who has been in the United States for 14 months, returned to India as directed recently by the apex court. He recently gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court that he will return to India soon after receiving emergency travel documents and ...Read More >
Jodhpur/Jaipur: In a sharp escalation of political wrangling, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot Friday accused BJP and RSS of harbouring a long-standing agenda to amend India's Constitution. His remarks came in response to controversial statements made by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, who suggested changes to the Preamble.Speaking in Jodhpur, Gehlot cited multiple Supreme Court judgments, including the landmark 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case, to emphasise the legal sanctity of the Constitution's Preamble. "This interpretation was further fortified in 1976 by then Prime Minister In ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
Guwahati: In a major scientific achievement on public health front, research scholars at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati have developed an innovative, low-cost method to detect SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus responsible for COVID-19 -- using nothing more than a type of clay and saltwater. This innovative mechanism, which uses sedimentation to determine the presence and quantity of the virus, offers a simpler and more affordable alternative to current diagnostic methods such as PCR and antigen testing. The study, recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Applied Clay Science, could ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
Kuldeep Singh Sengar is also serving a 10-year jail term in connection with the custodial death of the Unnao rape victim's father. Kuldeep Singh Sengar sought interim bail on the grounds that he was suffering from various ailments The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted a two-week interim bail on medical grounds to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar who is serving life term for raping a minor in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao in 2017. A bench headed by Justice Prathiba M Singh suspended the sent ...Read More >
New Delhi, January 13 (VOICE) Acting swiftly on the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium, the Centre on Monday cleared the appointment of Patna High Court's Chief Justice Krishnan Vinod Chandran to the apex court. In a post on X, Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), was pleased to appoint Justice Chandran as a Supreme Court judge. "In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Kri ...Read More >
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), considered the richest civic body in the country, tabled its budget of Rs 74,427 crore for 2025-26 at its headquarters in Mumbai on Tuesday. The additional municipal commissioners presented the budget to BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, the state-appointed administrator. BMC is currently run by an administrator since the term of the corporators ended on March 7, 2022. This is the third year of the budget being presented to the administrator, in deviation from the norm where the municipal commissioner presents the budget to the standing co ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Jun 7 (PTI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed the Punjab government's plea seeking a recall or modification of its May 6 order which asked it to release water to Haryana. On May 26, the high court had reserved its order on the Punjab government's plea. Punjab had sought a recall or modification of its May 6 order pertaining to Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan's May 2 decision to release 4,500 cusecs of extra water to Haryana. The high court on May 6 directed Punjab to abide by the decision of the meeting held on May 2 under the chairmanship of the Union home secre ...Read More >
Gurgaon: Two days after a law student died and his friend suffered critical injuries when a car knocked them down as they stood near railing on the service lane of Delhi-Jaipur highway in the early hours of Tuesday, a civil engineer was arrested on Thursday.Mohit (31), an employee of a private company in the city, told police that he got drowsy while driving. He is staying at a PG facility in Sector 14.The student who died, Harsh Singhal (25), was a resident of Om Nagar colony. His friend Abhishek Kumar (23), who is from Shanti Nagar in Sector 11, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital ...Read More >