The buck stops with govt. to end hate speech: SC
Summary
The Supreme Court of India has said the “buck ultimately stops with the government” to clamp down on hate speech and hate crimes, as they are offences committed on society. The remarks came after Uttar Pradesh informed the court that it had registered 580 cases of hate speech in 2021-2022. Of these, 160 were suo motu registered by the police. Uttarakhand said it had filed 118 cases. The court highlighted the problem of hate speech on television, and said that TV channels and their anchors have become tools to peddle particular “agendas”, creating divisiveness and violent instincts in the society to win their TRP (television rating point) wars. The court said that the anchors and the editorial heads of the channels decided the content, adding that it was also dictated by the “money” behind the channels.
Rise in govt. capital spending pushes up investments by 53%
Summary
The government and private companies in India made plans to spend a lot of money in the third quarter of 2022-23. The government spent a lot of money, but private companies spent less. Despite this, the total amount of money spent on investment projects in the first nine months of the year was very high. This is good news for the economy and might encourage more private companies to spend money on projects in the future.
Meeting between CM, L-G ends in acrimony
Summary
The Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, and the Lieutenant-Governor, V.K. Saxena, had a meeting but it did not go well. They have different opinions on how the government should be run and they accused each other of not telling the truth about what happened in the meeting. The Chief Minister said that the Lieutenant-Governor does not agree with a decision made by the Supreme Court that he should not have power to make independent decisions. The Lieutenant-Governor's office denied this and said that the Chief Minister is not following the rules set by the Constitution and the Supreme Court. They also disagreed on issues such as pollution and road construction. The Delhi government issued a statement saying that the Lieutenant-Governor's office made up stories about the meeting
A Lieutenant-Governor is a senior official who is appointed by the President of India to serve as the head of government for a Union Territory, which is a region that is directly controlled by the central government rather than a state government. The Lieutenant-Governor is responsible for the administration of the Union Territory and acts as a representative of the President of India. The Lieutenant-Governor's powers and responsibilities vary depending on the specific Union Territory and the laws that govern it. Some Union Territories have their own elected assemblies and chief ministers, while others are governed directly by the Lieutenant-Governor.
DTC inducts 13 more women, now has 34 female bus drivers
Summary
Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot gave 13 women appointment letters to become bus drivers for the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). This means that the DTC now has 34 women drivers, which is one of the highest numbers in any state in India. Ten of the 13 women who were given a letter of appointment have joined after receiving training through the Delhi government's "Mission Parivartan" initiative.
NCSC notice to M.P. school over Dalit student’s suicide
Summary
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has sent a notice to the administrators of a school in Madhya Pradesh after a 14-year-old Dalit boy died by suicide due to alleged caste discrimination by one of his teachers. The boy had reportedly left a note blaming his teacher for cursing him and using casteist slurs against him and his parents. The NCSC has asked the school administrator, district authorities, and local police to send a report on the matter within seven days and a three-member panel was formed to investigate the matter.
Bengaluru Metro: HC initiates PIL petition over safety measures
Summary:
The High Court of Karnataka has taken notice of two incidents involving the Namma Metro project, including the death of a woman and her young son and the formation of a sinkhole. The court has ordered the initiation of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to examine the safety measures in place while executing the project. The court has outlined five points for examination in the PIL, including the safety measures prescribed for the project, whether such measures are part of tender or contract agreements, the mechanism for supervision and checking at the construction sites, and whether accountability is fixed on contractors, agencies, and officials for failure to maintain safety measures.
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is a legal process where any person, organization or group can file a case in court on behalf of the public interest, without having to prove that they have been personally affected by the issue. PIL is used to bring attention to issues that affect the general public, such as human rights violations, environmental destruction, and corruption. PIL can be filed by anyone, including social activists, NGOs, and the media, and is often used as a way to seek justice for marginalized communities and to hold the government accountable for its actions. The court can then direct the government or its agencies to take action to address the issue. It is a powerful tool that allows citizens to access justice and hold the government responsible for issues that affect society as a whole.
Editorial
More than just an address
Summary:
The article discusses the tradition of the King's speech in the United Kingdom and its equivalent in India, the President's special address. The article explains that this speech is a formal beginning of each new session of Parliament and states the government's policy and the intended program of business for the forthcoming session. The article also explains that this tradition has been adopted in India and is outlined in Article 87 of the Indian Constitution. The article also mentions that the Calcutta High Court has held that the special address is not an idle or ceremonial formality and it keeps the members informed about the executive policies and legislative program of the State government. The article also mentions that the Governor of Tamil Nadu made constitutional history by omitting certain paragraphs and departing from the official text of his special address at the opening of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu for 2023.
Article 87 of the Indian Constitution requires the President to make a special address to both Houses of Parliament assembled on the commencement of the first session of each year. The President has to inform Parliament of the causes of its summons. This address is known as the President's speech and it is prepared by the incumbent government and is a statement of policy of the government. It is a time-honoured constitutional convention for the President to read out the exact text of the speech which informs the nation of the policies that the elected government intends to pursue. The President also has the right to address either House or both Houses of Parliament together under Article 86.
Bound supremacy
Summary:
The article discusses the limitations of parliamentary legislation under the Constitution of India, including the power of judicial review and the basic structure doctrine. The basic structure doctrine, which was established in the landmark Kesavananda Bharati case, limits the ability of the government to amend the Constitution in a way that would destroy its basic features. The article argues that the Vice-President's recent comments questioning the doctrine are misguided and that the doctrine is necessary to protect the Constitution from being undermined by the misuse of parliamentary majority. The article also mentions that the main purpose of the doctrine is to ensure that some fundamental features of the Constitution are not legislated out of existence.
Budget Session to start on January 31
Summary:
The Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, announced that the Budget Session of Parliament will begin on January 31 and continue till April 6. The session will have 27 sittings spread over 66 days with a nearly month-long recess to examine the Budget papers. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sithataman has indicated that the budget will continue to push growth on the back of public spending, and will be presented on February 1. This will be the fifth budget of the Modi 2.0 government and the last full budget before the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Lok Sabha elections are general elections held in India to elect members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. These elections are held every five years and are conducted by the Election Commission of India. The Lok Sabha is composed of 543 members, with the number of members representing each state and union territory determined by their population. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected through a first-past-the-post system, where the candidate who receives the most votes in a constituency is elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for that constituency. The political party or coalition that wins the majority of seats in the Lok Sabha forms the government, with its leader appointed as the Prime Minister. The Lok Sabha elections are considered to be one of the largest democratic exercises in the world, with millions of people participating in the voting process.
Marriage of minor girls: SC to check legality of personal law
Summary:
The Supreme Court of India has decided to examine whether girls as young as 15 years can enter into wedlock on the basis of custom or personal law when such marriages constitute an offence in statutory law. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud issued formal notice on the petition filed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) against a recent order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court that a girl, on attaining puberty or the age of 15 years and above, could be married on the basis of Muslim personal law, irrespective of the provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The Supreme Court said the High Court order would not act as a judicial precedent for other courts.
The Child Marriage Act, 2006 is a law in India that aims to prohibit and prevent child marriages. The act defines a child as a person who is below the age of 18 years for females and 21 years for males. The act makes it illegal for anyone to perform, conduct, or abet the solemnization of a child marriage. It also provides for punishment for anyone who contravenes the provisions of the act and for those who fail to report the occurrence of a child marriage. The act also provides for the annulment of a child marriage in certain circumstances and for the maintenance of any child or children born out of such marriage. The law also requires the state governments to take measures to prevent child marriages and to provide rehabilitation and support for any person affected by such marriages.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 is a proposed amendment to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 in India. The bill seeks to increase the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years. It is aimed at addressing the issue of child marriage in India and providing better protection for young girls. The bill also includes provisions for harsher penalties for those who violate the law and for improved rehabilitation and support for child brides. The bill is currently under consideration by the Indian government.
Panel on SC status for Dalit converts awaits staff", budget
Summary:
The Union government formed a commission in October to study the possibility of granting Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians and Muslims. However, the three-member panel does not currently have an office, secretarial staff, or a full-fledged budget. The commission has two years to complete its task and submit a report to the government. The panel is currently at the stage of "literature collection" and will start reviewing all materials available on the subject and then proceed to field visits. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has informed the commission that they will be providing funds from their contingency budget till March 31, following which a full-fledged budget will be allotted to them in the next budget.
Russia claims capturing of Soledar, Ukraine denies
Summary:
Russia has claimed to have taken control of the war-torn town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, marking its first claim of victory in months of battlefield setbacks. Ukraine denied the Russian claim, saying that fighting was still ongoing in the nearly completely destroyed town. Both sides have reported heavy losses, with Russia eager to promote any win back home and Ukraine desperate to hold and regain ground. Russia's announcement came as the UN Security Council was preparing to meet to discuss the war. The Russian mercenary group Wagner has claimed that it spearheaded the offensive for Soledar and already announced this week that its forces were controlling it.