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.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said it is essential to address the grave discrimination faced by persons with disabilities -- they are the ones who have been deprived by providence -- as against the persons who face discrimination arising from the societal setup, while pointing at the hostile discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment. The top court said persons with disabilities protected under Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, who, in spite of standing higher in merit, are denied upward movement. The apex court asked the Centre to apprise it on measures taken to provide "upward movement" of such meritorious candidates, if they secured more than the cut-off for the unreserved category. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said persons with disabilities face grave discrimination, as they are the ones who have been deprived by providence, as against the persons who face discrimination arising from the societal setup. The bench, in its 65-page judgment, said the latter category of persons is entitled to social reservation under Article 16(4) of the Constitution, which provides an upward movement in case the person belonging to such reserved category performs well in the evaluation process and stands higher in merit above the cut-off for the unreserved category. The bench said such a meritorious candidate would automatically move up to the unreserved category, thereby leaving the reserved seat vacant to be occupied by a candidate from the reserved category who scored less in the evaluation process. The bench also directed a nationwide monitoring of all state-run care institutions, housing persons with cognitive disabilities, to be undertaken under "Project Ability Empowerment" by eight National Law Universities (NLU), including the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, and NLU Delhi. The judgment came on pleas seeking judicial intervention for addressing the systemic barriers faced by persons with disabilities and ensuring enforcement of statutory safeguards. "The direct consequence of not providing upward movement to the meritorious candidate(s) applying under the category of persons with disabilities would be that even when a candidate with disability scores higher than the cut-off for the unreserved category, such a candidate would invariably occupy the reserved seat, thereby denying the opportunity to a lower scoring candidate with disability to make a claim on the seat/post", it said. The bench said in its view, this defeats the very purpose of reservation under Section 34 of the RPwD Act and constitutes a glaring example of hostile discrimination against persons with disabilities and requires urgent rectification. Section 34 of the Act deals with reservation in employment for persons with disabilities. The bench said it was imperative to make a positive interpretation of "reservation" as provided under Section 34 of the Act.
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], November 19 (ANI): With the Maharashtra elections approaching, wrestler and Congress MLA from Haryana's Julana, Vinesh Phogat, held a roadshow in Pune to support Congress candidate Datta Bahirat from the Shivajinagar Assembly constituency. She urged voters to ensure a victory for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), criticising the Mahayuti government for "injustice" by toppling the government elected by the people. "Everything is going well... If people shower their blessings on us on the 20th, we will win with a bigger margin this time. I appeal to voters to respond to ...Read More >
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 >
Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan has called for the replacement of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with ballot papers, citing concerns over the legitimacy of election results. Ranjan raised doubts about the EVM's accuracy, suggesting that the results may be influenced and advocating for a ballot paper system like many other countries. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also echoed similar sentiments, accusing EVMs of wasting votes from marginalized communities. This comes after the Congress' defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly election. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed a petition seeking th ...Read More >
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 >
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 >
New Delhi [India], December 18 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Punjab authorities to promptly tackle the health situation of farmers' leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal who is on fast unto death for over 20 days and to take "extraordinary steps" to ensure his health. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan cautioned Punjab authorities on the repercussions if anything untoward happens to the farmer's leader. Also Read | 'Mukadma, Mulzim, Ilzam, Ittila, Chashmdeed': BJP Government in Rajasthan To Replace Urdu Terms in Policing With Hindi Words. "The entire state machinery will b ...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 >
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 >
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Jacobite Syrian Church to hand over the administration of six churches in Kerala to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church faction. The matter came up before a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan. The bench said that the members of the Jacobite Syrian Church were in contempt for "wilfully disobeying" the 2017 judgment. The bench directed the Jacobite faction to hand over the administration of three churches each in Ernakulam and Palakkad districts to the Malankara faction. The bench also asked the Jacobite faction to file a ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 3 (ANI): On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region has called for amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities to foster an inclusive and sustainable future. WHO's Regional Director, Saima Wazed, stressed that empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring their active participation in all sectors is essential to addressing the barriers they face, particularly in healthcare and during humanitarian crises. Also Read | South Korea Unrest: Martial Law Troops Enter Nat ...Read More >
New Delhi, [India], December 11 (ANI): The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the growing tendency to misuse Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which penalises cruelty by husbands and their relatives against married women. While quashing a Section 498A IPC case against a husband and his parents, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh said that the Section became a tool for unleashing personal vendetta against the husband and his family by a wife. Also Read | RBI Will Remain Alert and Agile to Meet Challenges, Says New Governor Sanjay Malhotra (Watch Video). " ...Read More >
The Supreme Court of India has said that mere harassment is not sufficient to hold someone guilty of the offence of abetting suicide, and there must be clear evidence of direct or indirect incitement. Photograph: ANI Photo The observations came from a bench of justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale which delivered its verdict on an appeal challenging a Gujarat high court order which refused to discharge a woman's husband and her two in-laws for allegedly harassing her and driving her to suicide. ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 12 (VOICE) The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that no fresh suits would be registered under the Places of Worship Act in the country, and in the pending cases, no final or effective orders would be passed till further orders of the Apex Court. A Special Bench headed by CJI Sajiv Khanna asked the Union government to file within four weeks its reply to the clutch of petitions challenging the validity of the 1991 Act, which prohibits the filing of a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947. The Bench, also c ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jan 13 (PTI) The Karnataka High Court has dismissed on Monday an appeal by J Deepak and J Deepa, the legal heirs of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, seeking the release of her assets confiscated in a 2004 disproportionate assets case. Jayalalithaa was convicted by a special court in 2014 for amassing wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income during her tenure from 1991 to 1996. Following her conviction, her properties were confiscated by the authorities. Although she was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court in 2015, then congress government in Karnataka ...Read More >
New Delhi, Nov 26: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to introduce ballot paper in place of EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines). A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P.B. Varale rejected the prayer to return to the ballot system due to the alleged manipulability of EVMs. "When you lose, EVMs are tampered with; when you win, EVMs are fine," remarked the apex court, when the petitioner referred to the statements made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his predecessor Jagan Mohan ...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 >
New Delhi [India], December 6 (ANI): The Lok Sabha as part of the Winter Session of the Parliament has been adjourned until 11:00 am on December 9, as announced by the Speaker on Friday. The proceedings of the lower house were adjourned until 12 pm earlier in the day as disruptions continued for the ninth consecutive day of the winter session, with opposition members raising slogans and creating ruckus over various contentious issues. Also Read | Hashimpura Massacre Case: Supreme Court Grants Bail to 8 Convicts in Infamous 1987 Massacre Case. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made a fervent appeal ...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 >
Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 12 (PTI) Tensions flared in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday as BJP MLAs barged into Speaker U T Khader's chamber, expressing strong objections to his handling of the proceedings. The confrontation came amidst heated debates over the recent police lathi charge on Panchamasali Lingayat protesters, with the ruling Congress and opposition BJP trading accusations. The issue arose when Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar, himself a leader of the Panchamasali Lingayat community, criticized the decision of previous BJP government to scrap the 4 per cent Muslim reservati ...Read More >
Nagpur, Dec 15 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday slammed the opposition parties, accusing them of not believing in the Constitution. Fadnavis landed in Nagpur to a grand welcome from party workers and people. Talking to reporters at Nagpur airport, Fadnavis said, "It is a joyous moment that after becoming the chief minister, I have come to my janmabhoomi and karmabhoomi (birthplace and workplace). Nagpur is my family, and it is welcome by my family." Fadnavis took oath as the chief minister for the third time on December 5 after the Mahayuti combine swept the Novem ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to revert to ballot paper voting in elections in the country. "What happens is, when you win the election, EVMs (electronic voting machine) are not tampered. When you lose the election, EVMs are tampered (with)," remarked a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale. Apart from ballot paper voting, the plea sought several directions including a directive to the Election Commission to disqualify candidates for a minimum of five years if found guilty of distributing money, liquor or other material inducement to the voters d ...Read More >
The Sena UBT chief spokesperson was reacting to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad's comment that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee should be allowed to lead the INDIA bloc. Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that his party was open to discuss if someone outside of the Congress party should lead the Opposition INDIA bloc. Speaking in New Delhi Delhi, Raut said that all the constituents of the INDIA bloc are willing to have a discuss ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said accelerated the trial against former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee facing money laundering probe in the teacher recruitment scam, while directing his release on bail on or before February 1, 2025. The apex court's judgment came on the bail plea of Chatterjee in the money laundering case arising out of the West Bengal cash-for-jobs scam. A bench led by Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said a suspect can be held in custody indefinitely. The apex court decided to grant bail to Chatterjee, prime accused in teach ...Read More >
Belagavi (Karnataka) [India], December 26 (ANI): As the Congress is set to celebrate the centenary of the 1924 session of the party presided over by Mahatma Gandhi, party leader Salman Khurshid arrived in Belagavi on Thursday and said it is historical, and history was made here 100 years ago. "This is historical; history was made here 100 years ago. We need new inspiration and country. We need to take the country in the right direction and fight for the Constitution," Khurshid said while speaking to the media at the Airport. Several Congress leaders will be attending the Congress Working Com ...Read More >
Gandhinagar, Feb 4 (PTI) The BJP government in Gujarat on Tuesday formed a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to assess the need for the Uniform Civil Code in the state, and also draft a bill for the same. While the Opposition said the decision was aimed at diverting attention from pressing issues ahead of the upcoming local body polls, the government claimed rights of the tribal communities will be protected if the UCC is implemented. The five-member committee, to be headed by Justice (retd) Ranjana Desai, will submit its report within 45 days, following which a decision abou ...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 >
Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal's hunger strike enters its 17th day. His health is critical. The Supreme Court urges dialogue between the government and Dallewal. Dallewal demands MSP guarantee and other farmer-centric issues. He has written an open letter to the Prime Minister. Farmers' organizations continue their protests at the Punjab-Haryana border.The Supreme Court on Friday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health of Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who ...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 >
New Delhi: Former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination, has moved the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma is scheduled to hear the plea on January 15. Khedkar has challenged the December 23 2024 Delhi High Court order which refused to grant her anticipatory bail. The high court said a strong prima facie case was made out against Khedkar and an investigation was required to unearth the "larger conspiracy" to manipulate the system ...Read More >