India's gold demand rose 8 per cent annually to 136.6 tonne in the March quarter helped by a strong economic environment despite prices touching historic highs, according to the World Gold Council. The aggressive gold buying by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also contributed to the rise in demand. India's gold demand in value terms rose 20 per cent on an annual basis to Rs 75,470 crore during the January-March period of this year on volume growth as well as a rise in quarterly average prices by 11 per cent.
At the end of the day, for many worldwide, the ongoing mutual attacks between Israel and Iran would seem a contest devoid of any moral high ground and only a bout between two ordinary adversaries, one that nevertheless risks spinning out of control into a larger conflagration, notes Shyam G Menon.
Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan has said that UK law firms could be allowed to operate in India but a final decision in the matter would have to be taken by the Indian Bar Council.
Union minister for law and justice M Veerappa Moily said India was committed to opening its legal sector to foreign law companies as agreed under the World Trade Organization negotiations, but would tread cautiously on this decision. At the same time, the country would not do anything that undermined the autonomy of the Bar Council of India, he added.
Gold seems to be losing its glitter in India due to a rise in prices. Demand in Q2CY24 was 149.7 tonnes - a 5 per cent drop compared to 158.1 tonnes in the same period last year, according to a report by the World Gold Council (WGC). Demand by value in April-June 2024 stood at Rs 93,850 crore, up by 14 per cent compared to Rs 82,530 crore in the same period last year.
...Is a cultural swaraj under way, wonders Ajit Balakrishnan.
Mishra said the department-related parliamentary standing committee on home affairs in its 146th report had recommended that there is a need for a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system of the country.
He will succeed K K Venugopal, whose term will end on September 30.
If you disregard history and are ready to watch Kesari 2 purely as an entertainer, you are definitely going to enjoy it, feels Utkarsh Mishra.
'The BJP lacks a credible mass leader who matches Mamata Banerjee's popularity.' 'Given the division of votes among Opposition parties, the West Bengal government's dole-giving strategy, and the consolidation of the poor, significant sections of scheduled caste groups and Muslim minorities behind the ruling party, it will be difficult to dislodge the Trinamool from power.'
'Is the application the Press Council's voice or the government's? 'It has been reported that other members of the PCI were taken aback at the Press Council's application. 'These members need to publicly question the chairman to redeem their own positions,' says Jyoti Punwani.
The CJI said there is an urgent need to emerge from the adjournment culture to a culture of professionalism.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking to restrain its senior-most judge, Justice D Y Chandrachud, from taking oath as the Chief Justice of India on November 9 by terming the entire petition "misconceived".
The senior most among the five judges, whose names were officially announced by the Centre on Saturday, is Justice Mithal whose parent cadre is the Allahabad high court.
A group of lawyers, including senior advocate Harish Salve and Bar Council of India chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra, has written to the Chief Justice of India, alleging that a "vested interest group" is trying to put pressure on the judiciary and defame courts "on the basis of frivolous logic and stale political agendas".
The appointments were announced by new Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Twitter.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who has been part of several landmark Supreme Court judgements such as scrapping the electoral bonds scheme and upholding abrogation of Article 370, will be sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India on Monday.
Trump's sweeping tariffs and penalties on China-built ships have turned global shipping into the front line of economic war, observes Shyam G Menon.
India can also emerge as a hub of legal talent if it opens up its legal sector
Gold, a safe-haven bet, is likely to continue its record-smashing journey in the New Year, rising to Rs 85,000 per 10 grams and even Rs 90,000 level in domestic markets if geopolitical tensions and global economic uncertainties continue.
Lawyers on Tuesday observed a strike to protest against the imposition of service tax on them by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The top court said that every month on 3-4 Saturdays, the advocates are on strike on one pretext or the other and had the lawyers worked on those days, it would have achieved the ultimate goal of speedy justice, which is now a fundamental right.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Madras high court's order directing suspension of advocate R K Chandramohan from chairmanship of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for allegedly attempting to influence a judge by taking former telecom minister A Raja's name.A bench comprising justices D K Jain and H L Dattu also stayed the operation of the high court direction asking the Bar Council of India to initiate disciplinary action against Chandramohan.
Chief Justice of India U U Lalit on Friday said that the Supreme Court will endeavour to dispose of as many cases as possible and he will strive his best to live up to the expectations of the people.
The year was rich in content as far as Web series were concerned.
'On April 30, the Supreme Court spoke on the need to further insulate the CBI from political interference. Come May 8, perhaps their Lordships could also extend protection to the law officers too -- simultaneously sending out the message that the Attorney General is much more than a professional doing his duty to the ministry of the day, that he owes a higher duty as an officer of the court,' says T V R Shenoy.
Shah said the new laws would give priority to providing justice, unlike the colonial-era laws that gave primacy to penal action, and made reporting of crimes even easier by recognising e-FIR, Zero FIR and electronic or digital evidence.
Incidentally, 164 of the total 356 candidates in the fray from the 43 assembly seats of Jammu region got less votes than none of the above, which gives an option to voters to reject all candidates in a constituency.
The court has said being a priest or nun cannot be a disqualification in itself for being enrolled as advocates.
The Bar Council of India refused to cancel the strike saying there is no time to inform all constituents.
'Every Indian knows why the BJP is targeting Hamid Ansari.'
'It is very sad. Everyone is feeling bad. Because of some lawyers our profession has been defamed.' 'We are the protectors of the law and we cannot start violating it.'
The Supreme Court Monday declined the plea of jailed Nationalist Congress Party leaders and MLAs Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh seeking temporary release from prison to cast their votes in the Maharashtra legislative council election.
The move, a first in the country after the Supreme Court order, is intended to consolidate the BJP's Dalit outreach in Haryana.
As the Court made it clear it was not inclined to entertain the petition, Forum's counsel Sanjeev Bhatnagar withdrew it and the same was 'dismissed as withdrawn'.
"I don't want you to cry but with anger, you have to shout and demand that we need 50 per cent reservation," the CJI said.
The bench of Justices SK Kaul and AS Oka expressed displeasure over the abstention of work, saying access to justice is the very foundation of the legal system.
For India to view the new Sri Lankan leadership only through the prism of the past or through their narrow view on China, is fraught with possibilities that should be avoided, asserts N Sathiya Moorthy.
Adding petrol and diesel to GST was a challenging task due to their significant role as revenue generators for both the central and state governments.
"Frequent elections not only impose a huge burden on human resources but also impede the development process due to the promulgation of the model code of conduct. Therefore, a sustained debate is required on the subject of simultaneous elections and all political parties need to arrive at a consensus on this issue," he had said.
