SC REJECTS TO QUASH CASES AGAINST LOCKDOWN VIOLATORS
Why in news? The Supreme Court on 6th May dismissed a petition filed by a former Director-General of Police of Uttar Pradesh to quash FIRs registered against ordinary citizens for violating the COVID-19 lockdown. Arguments for the quashing of Section 188 IPC: According to the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) data: 848 FIRs were […]
PLEA CHALLENGING APPOINTMENT OF ADDITIONAL JUDGE
Why in news? The Supreme Court on 4th May, rejected a petition filed by a district judge challenging the appointment of a ‘junior’ judicial officer as an additional judge of the Karnataka High Court on the ground that it breaches the seniority rule. Details SC Said that it generally does not interfere with the President’s order […]
DEBT RECOVERY TRIBUNAL
Why in news? Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the Debt Recovery Tribunal I (DRT 1), Incharge of DRT II (DRT 2), Chennai, has decided on a 23-year-old case and tendered the judgment by holding a virtual court via video conferencing, which is one-of-its-kind in the entire South India for a DRT. What are Debt Recovery Tribunals […]
Explained: Labour Laws Reforms for UPSC Exam
That the archaic labour laws in India need to be amended is beyond debate. They have protected only a tiny section of the labour force, facilitated rent-seeking, and have laid the ground for the casualisation of the labour force, the phenomenon of the missing middle in manufacturing, and the substitution of capital for labour in […]
MATTERS TO BE HEARD BY CAT BENCH IN J&K ITSELF
Why in news? In the wake of the news reports appeared in a section of media that “GoI shifts all service matters of employees of J&K and Ladakh UTs to Chandigarh CAT”, it is clarified that neither the petitioner nor the lawyer need to go to Chandigarh for filling petition or appearing before the tribunal […]
ECI ON BIENNIAL ELECTION TO MAHARASHTRA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Focus: GS-II Governance, Polity, Prelims Why in news? The Election Commission, on May 1st, reviewed the matter concerning feasibility of conduct of biennial election for the 9 vacant seats of the MLC by MLAs in the state of Maharashtra. ECI on 03 April 2020 had issued an order under Article 324 to defer the elections […]
INDIA SLIPS IN PRESS FREEDOM RANKINGS
Why in news? The latest survey of the global body, Reporters Without Borders, that shows India dropping two places on the global press freedom index ranking to 142nd place in the list of 180 countries. India’s neighbours — Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka — are ranked higher in the list. Claims and details on India’s Press […]
PLAN TO EXTEND CAT OPPOSED
Why in news? There was opposition against the decision to extend the jurisdiction of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Chandigarh, to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to hear the cases of employees for redress. Why were they against it? Shifting of all pending service-related matters from both wings of the High Court in […]
NEET APPLIES TO MINORITY COLLEGES: SC
Why in news? The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) is mandatory for admission to medical colleges run by religious and linguistic minority communities, the Supreme Court held on 29th April 2020. The court dismissed arguments made by the managements of several minority-run medical institutions that bringing them uniformly under the ambit of NEET would be a violation […]
NITI AAYOG QUESTIONS IEP’S TERROR RANKING OF INDIA
Why in news? A report compiled by Niti Aayog has questioned the methodology adopted by an Australian based institute – Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)- to rank India as the seventh worst terrorism affected country. This IEP’s report has put India ahead of conflict-ridden countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, […]