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: It was 11 years ago that Supreme Court recognised transgender people as the 'third gender' and upheld their fundamental right to equality and dignity.Observing that discrimination still continued, however, the court on Friday appointed a committee headed by a retired Delhi HC judge to frame a comprehensive equal opportunity policy for the community in the arenas of employment and education. It also directed setting up of a transgender protection cell and a dedicated nationwide toll-free helpline number.A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan expressed its anguish over the "lethargic" attitude of the Centre and states to protect the community's rights. It said the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 -- which sought to prevent social exclusion, discrimination, unemployment and lack of educational and medical facilities faced by transgender persons -- remained in law books and was never implemented in true spirit. The law was "brutishly reduced to dead letters", SC said, for which both Centre and states were to blame. "We are pained to observe that there has either been a superficial and sporadic, or a complete lack of implementation of measures to ensure the prevention of discrimination against transgender persons in various spheres of life, both public and private... The right against discrimination of transgender and gender diverse persons has long been recognised by this court ever since the judgment in NALSA (supra) wherein it was held that the ground of 'sex' under Article 15 of the Constitution also includes the analogous ground of gender identity," SC said. The court said all stakeholders concerned had not only exhibited "a serious and perennial lack of action", but also reinforced discrimination towards the community despite the existence of a statutory framework. It said govt authorities must provide due respect and consideration to the constitutional value underlying public participation. "There is no gainsaying that the Union of India and the states need to do a lot more to create mechanisms for the transgender persons to translate their rights into reality. The lethargy exhibited on part of the govt concerned has also led the non-state establishments to put the compliance of the 2019 Act and of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020 in a cold freeze. This abeyance of rights is a matter of serious concern," it said.
A question. Which party played identity politics in the 2024 campaign? Donald Trump and the Republicans or Kamala Harris and the Democrats? Left-leaning pundits think they know. Political consultant James Carville blamed Democrats' defeat on their "stupid, Goddamn identitarian mission." CNN anchor and Washington Post columnist Fareed Zakaria argued that one of the big mistakes Harris made was "elevating identity politics." New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd declared that "woke is broke." This one-sided attack on identity politics happens like clockwork when Democrats lose an election, eve ...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 >
Rahul Gandhi criticized the RSS after its general secretary, Dattatreya Hosabale, suggested reviewing the terms "socialist" and "secular" in the Constitution's Preamble. Gandhi alleged the RSS prefers "Manusmriti" over the Constitution, aiming to deprive marginalized communities of their rights. He vowed to defend the Constitution against the RSS's alleged agenda.leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the mask of the RSS has come off again as it wants "Manusmriti" and not the Constitution, after the ...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 >
New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) YouTuber Samay Raina appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in Delhi on Tuesday, months after he was summoned in connection with allegedly offensive and sexist content aired during his show "India's Got Latent", officials said. Raina was also among the five social media influencers who appeared before the Supreme Court in a case seeking action against them for ridiculing persons suffering from disabilities. Raina submitted his statement in response to the allegations to NCW officials. Officials said further steps will be considered after reviewing his ...Read More >
The Delhi high court on Thursday asked the Centre to clarify the rationale behind excluding unmarried and same sex couples from giving consent on their partner's behalf for medical treatment/emergencies, saying that it saw no valid justification for such exclusion. A bench of justice Sachin Datta sought justification while dealing with a plea filed by Arshiya Takkar, a queer individual, seeking directions to the Centre to frame guidelines allowing same-sex partners to give consent in medical sit ...Read More >
PATNA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is all set to embark on 'Vote Adhikar Yatra' from Bihar's Rohtas district on August 17 to register a protest against how the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls was being conducted in the state. This comes at a time when the Opposition is ratcheting up its protest against the SIR and casting aspersions on the integrity of elections. AICC general secretary (organisation) and MP KC Venugopal held a meeting with the INDIA bloc leaders at Sasaram in Rohtas district on Wednesday and reviewed preparations for Rahul Gandhi's visit to Bi ...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 [India], July 14 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday flagged the issue of people abusing their fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression on social media. A bench led by Justice B.V. Navarathna also stated that reasonable restrictions over the fundamental right of speech and expression are rightly imposed and need to be complied with by citizens. All reasonable restrictions is rightly put. Just because technology is there, doesnt mean youll abuse it, Justice Nagarathna stated. The Supreme Court judge also said that citizens must apply self-regulation and restraint when s ...Read More >
The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of self-regulation and understanding the value of freedom of speech and expression, while hearing a plea regarding offensive social media posts. The court is considering guidelines to regulate such posts, stressing the need to curb divisive tendencies without resorting to censorship. The Supreme Court on Monday said citizens must know the value of freedom of speech and expression and observe self regulation as it mulled guidelines to regulate offensive ...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 >
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 15 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Tuesday wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, seeking his immediate intervention in an incident of alleged religious discrimination faced by Kashmiri female students at a nursing college in Bengaluru. The students, who wear the hijab or burkha in accordance with their religious beliefs, have reportedly been barred from attending classes and threatened with expulsion by the management of Sri Soubhagya Lalitha College of Nursing, affiliated with the Rajiv Gandhi University of Heal ...Read More >
In the letter, the association said the Kashmiri women students have been systematically targeted. This incident follows the 2022 Karnataka hijab ban, currently under Supreme Court review after a split verdict. Bengaluru: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Tuesday, July 15 wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stating that Muslim students wearing hijab were barred from attending classes and threatened with expulsion at a Bengaluru college. The alleged case of rel ...Read More >
Medak: Telangana State BJP President N. Ramchander Rao on Friday appealed to the people to give the committed party an opportunity to meet the aspirations of the poor and downtrodden. Addressing a large gathering of party workers in Medak, the BJP chief remarked that citizens have experienced the rule of the BRS and the Congress party and have had bitter experiences with the deceitful practices of both. He urged people to support the BJP wholeheartedly in the upcoming local body elections as a way to teach the ruling Congress party a lesson for its unfulfilled promises. Rao emphasized that t ...Read More >
Mumbai, July 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Actor Harshvardhan Rane, who was last seen in 'The Miranda Brothers', is heaping praise on the recently released film 'Saiyaara', and its team. On Saturday, the actor took to the Stories section of his Instagram, and penned a special note for the film and its makers after it witnessed a stellar opening day. He wrote, "Another melodious example of a love story shattering all myths and formulas of the industry. Honest heart wrenching love story wins again in 2025! #Saiyaara". 'Saiyaara', which stars Aneet Padda, and marks the debut of Ahaan Panday, is helmed b ...Read More >
New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Tuesday said prisoners, including disabled ones, not being provided "preferred or costly food items" in jails was not a violation of fundamental rights. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution extends to all prisoners, however, it did not confer a right to demand personalised or luxurious food choices. "Mere non-supply of preferred or costly food items cannot ipso facto be treated as a violatio ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Central government regarding a petition urging for the creation of guidelines to legally recognise non-heterosexual partners as medical representatives, thereby allowing them to give consent on each other's behalf in medical situations. Justice Sachin Datta sought responses from the Union Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Law and Justice, Social Justice and Empowerment, and the National Medical Commission regarding the plea. Also Read | Patna Voter List Controversy: Election Commission, District ...Read More >
Varanasi: Recalling the horrors of Emergency, Union minister of agriculture, farmers welfare and rural development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday accused the Congress of undermining democracy and demanded that the party should apologise to the nation for the excesses committed by it.Recalling his personal experience, he said that the horrors of the Emergency, which tore apart democracy, remain vivid in his memory. "Fifty years ago, in its arrogance and pride, Congress launched a direct assault on democratic values and constitutional systems. I was 16 years old at the time. Recalling that dark ...Read More >
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 2 (ANI): Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati, on Wednesday, raised concerns over Uttar Pradesh government's recent decision to merge primary schools with fewer students with nearby institutions, saying that the decision appears to be 'Unjust, unnecessary, and anti-poor'. In a post on X, Mayawati said that the UP government's decision will affect children who receive accessible and affordable government education near their homes. 'The decision taken by the Basic Education Council, Government of Uttar Pradesh, to close numerous schools under the guise of m ...Read More >
Cuttack, Jul 3 (PTI) Rejecting a writ appeal of the state government, a Division Bench of Orissa High Court here has recently upheld a three-year-old judgment passed by a single-judge Bench stating that maternity leave and associated benefits cannot be denied to a woman employed by the state on contractual basis. In a recent ruling, the Division Bench of Justices Dixit Krishna Shripad and Mruganka Sekhar Sahoo affirmed the August 2022 decision of a single-judge Bench, which had ruled in favour of a contractual employee of the Health and Family Welfare Department whose maternity leave applicat ...Read More >
JAMMU: Senior BJP leader and former minister Priya Sethi on Sunday led a plantation drive at the historic Mubarak Mandi complex in connection with the 125th Birth Anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The initiative, organised by Distt President Jammu Rajesh Gupta, Vice president Distt Ramesh Gupta and convenor Arun Sethi as a tribute to the visionary leader who laid the foundation for "One Nation, One Constitution," witnessed enthusiastic participation from party workers, local residents, environmental activists, and students. Speaking on the occasion, Priy ...Read More >
Bareilly (UP), Jul 17 (PTI) A teacher from Bahedi district, who went viral recently after reciting a poem mentioning Kanwar Yatra, approached the police on Thursday stating a threat to his life from anti-social elements. A case has been registered at Bahedi police station based on a complaint from Dr Rajneesh Kumar Gangwar, a teacher at MGM Inter College in the district. According to Circle Officer Arun Kumar Singh, Gangwar's complaint says that ever since his recitation of the poem 'Tum Kanwad Lene Mat Jana, Gyaan Ka Deepak Jalaana' (You don't go get Kavad, light the lamp of knowledge inste ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid heartfelt tributes to freedom fighter Mangal Pandey on his birth anniversary, remembering him as a "pioneering warrior" who challenged British authority and remains a lasting symbol of courage and patriotism. Recognised as one of the earliest voices of resistance, Mangal Pandey played a key role in the events that sparked the Revolt of 1857, which eventually led to the dissolution of the East India Company and the establishment of direct British rule under the Government of India Act of 1858. Taking to X, Prime Minister Modi wr ...Read More >
New Delhi, November 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the government at the Centre has strengthened the spirit of the Constitution over the last 10 years. Addressing the Constitution Day celebrations at the Supreme Court, PM Modi highlighted that in the last 10 years, more than 53 crore bank accounts were opened, more than 4 crore pukka houses were given and more than 10 crore free gas connections were given. "In the last 5-6 years, by providing tap water facilities in more than 12 crore houses, the government made the lives of citizens easy, particularly of women," he sai ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Congress National General Secretary and Karnataka incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday refuted reports regarding a meeting between the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar in New Delhi, as "purely imaginary". Answering a question by the media on a possible meeting as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Dy CM Shivakumar are in New Delhi over developments in the state, he dubbed them "purely imaginary." "I have no knowledge of any such meeting of LoP Rahul Gandhi with the Karnataka CM and Dy ...Read More >
The Supreme Court has criticized the Centre and Maharashtra government for designating existing courts as special courts, highlighting the resulting delays in trials for various cases. The court emphasized the urgent need for creating new infrastructure, appointing judges and staff, and sanctioning government posts to establish dedicated special courts. The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up the Centre and Maharashtra government for designating existing courts as special courts as it asked for th ...Read More >
The Board will help the transgender community receive their rightful entitlements in education, healthcare, employment, and safety, Gupta said in a statement. Stating that the Board will work on policymaking and recommending welfare schemes, the chief minister added that it will also coordinate with various departments to solve issues regarding the transgender community. This development will also ensure the timely issuance of identity certificates and ID cards. Now, transgenders will be able ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday announced the provisional attachment of assets worth approximately ₹131.45 crore in Spain, including a luxury yacht and immovable properties, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). These assets belong to Pavel Prozorov, a Spanish national and the alleged mastermind behind the unauthorised forex trading platform OctaFX. The attached assets comprise a commercial Italian-model luxury yacht cruising in the Western Mediterranean, a minijet boat, a luxury car, and two residential properties in Spain. The ED's probe was launched ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Thousands of people who gathered at ashoorkhana in Dabeerpura on the 10th day of Muharram (Youm-e-Ashura) took part in the Bibi-ka-Alam procession. The procession commenced from Dabeerpura on an elephant and concluded at Chaderghat. The Shia mourners took out the procession to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Prophet Mohammad's grandson, Imam Hussain, on the 10th day of Muharram. Members of the Shia sect performed matam and participated in processions. The 10th Muharram is the day on which Imam Hussain was martyred in the battle of Karbala by Yazid and his army. The relic made of ...Read More >