The Supreme Court on Monday directed uniform pension benefits for all retired high court judges, irrespective of their mode of appointment or tenure, saying "one rank one pension has to be the norm in respect of a constitutional office".
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah strongly criticized linking Jammu and Kashmir's political future to acts of terror, asserting that Pakistan cannot influence decisions on the region's statehood through terrorism. He announced a signature campaign to press for the restoration of statehood.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has questioned the Chief Justice of India's involvement in executive appointments, specifically citing the selection of the CBI director. He believes this practice undermines democratic principles and calls for revisiting the existing norms. Dhankhar also raised concerns about the "doctrine of basic structure", suggesting it has a debatable jurisprudential basis. He emphasized the importance of each institution operating within its constitutional boundaries and highlighted the need for coordinated autonomy. The vice president also discussed the need for a balanced approach to judicial review and the importance of judges focusing on judgments rather than other forms of expression. He stressed the need to revisit the current state of affairs to restore the judiciary's sublimity.
The Supreme Court of India has directed changes in digital know your customer (KYC) guidelines for persons with disability and acid attack survivors, citing the right to digital access as an intrinsic component of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court found that existing KYC procedures, which require visual tasks such as head movements and facial positioning, pose significant challenges for these groups, preventing them from accessing essential services like bank accounts and welfare schemes. The court emphasized the importance of bridging the digital divide and ensuring universal accessibility to digital services for all citizens.
The judge further underlined that the minorities of the country had not only joined the mainstream but also were an important facet of it.
The Supreme Court of India has reserved its interim orders on three key issues related to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, including the power to denotify waqf properties, the composition of waqf boards, and the provision regarding government land. The court heard arguments from both the petitioners, who challenged the validity of the amended law, and the Centre, which defended the Act as a secular concept. The petitioners sought interim orders to prevent the implementation of certain provisions while the court considers the legal challenges.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the anticipatory bail plea of a cartoonist accused of uploading objectionable cartoons of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS workers on social media. The Madhya Pradesh High Court had previously refused to grant him relief, observing it was a gross misuse of freedom of speech.
The Supreme Court of India has sought responses from the Centre and others on a petition challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995. The petition argues that the Act gives undue favor to waqf properties and deprives non-Muslims of their property rights. The court has tagged the petition with pending petitions that raise similar issues.
The court said there is nothing on record to suggest that since 2023, Purkayastha was ever called to join the investigations.
The Supreme Court of India has reprimanded the Rajasthan government over the alarming rise in student suicides in Kota. The court expressed its deep concern over the situation, questioning the state's efforts to address the crisis. The court also ordered an FIR to be filed in the case of a 22-year-old IIT Kharagpur student who died by suicide in his hostel room, citing a delay in reporting the incident to the police.
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that maternity leave is a fundamental right and cannot be denied to a woman based on the number of children she has from previous relationships. The court overturned a Madras High Court decision that had denied maternity leave to a Tamil Nadu government school teacher who had two children from a previous marriage. The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of reproductive rights, including maternity benefits, as part of international human rights law. The court also highlighted the right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which includes the right to health, dignity, and reproductive choice. The decision has significant implications for women's rights and reproductive healthcare in India.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta also restored the destruction of evidence charge levelled on deputy commissioner of police Parampal Singh for directing the removal of the number plate of the car after the firing incident in 2015 in which a driver was killed.
The bench questioned the petitioner for not moving the high court and directly coming to the apex court.
The petitioner's counsel said his client was facing threats of arrest and torture in his country as he was a former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam member, and that his wife and children had settled in India.
"The entire nation was in shame due to the comments... We saw your videos , you were on the verge of using very filthy language but somehow better sense prevailed or you did not find suitable words. You should be shameful. Entire country is proud of our Army and you made this statement," Justice Surya Kant said.
Preventive detention is an extraordinary power in the hands of the state that must be used sparingly, said the Supreme Court as it set aside an order to detain a man indulging in money lending in Kerala.
Tata Steel is in the process of filing a curative petition in the Supreme Court in connection with the apex court ruling which said that states have the power to levy cess on mining and mineral-use activities. The petition by the steel manufacturing firm is aimed at seeking remedy to the order, passed by a 9-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on July 25. However, Tata Steel's managing director and chief executive officer T V Narendran told Business Standard that there was no demand note on the firm.
In a landmark verdict, the Supreme court fixed a timeline for Governor to act on bills passed by the state legislature as it pulled up Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi for reserving 10 bills for President's consideration, saying it was against the constitutional provisions.
The Karnataka High Court has directed suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna to approach the sessions court for bail in the rape case filed against him. The court clarified that Revanna could return to the HC if necessary, after the lower court considers his plea.
Opposition parties have agreed to the agenda of taking up a special discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor on Monday in Lok Sabha and the next day in Rajya Sabha, brightening up the prospect of normalcy returning to Parliament after the virtual washout of first-week proceedings.
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to refer pleas related to the June 2022 Maharashtra political crisis triggered by the Shiv Sena's division to a seven-judge bench for reconsideration of the 2016 Nabam Rebia judgment.
The plea claimed the blocking was effected by the intermediary pursuant to an undisclosed direction allegedly issued by the Centre citing vague grounds of "national security" and "public order".
The Madras high court on Tuesday appointed an inquiry officer into the Sivaganga custodial death case and allowed a CB-CID probe into the matter.
The final NRC, a list of Indian citizens residing in Assam, was released in 2019 by excluding 19,06,657 people. However, it has not been notified by the Registrar General of India, leaving the controversial document without any official validity.
The CJI called Justice Gavai his "biggest support" while expressing confidence in the latter's leadership and commitment to constitutional values.
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that governors cannot indefinitely delay giving assent to bills passed by state legislatures, setting a timeline of one to three months for their actions. The court said the governor must act "as soon as possible" and that failure to comply with the timeline will make their inaction subject to judicial review. The ruling comes as several opposition-ruled states have accused governors of delaying assent to bills passed by their assemblies.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Karnataka government over actor Kamal Haasan's film "Thug Life" not being released in the state, saying mob and vigilantes cannot be allowed to take to the streets.
Justice Abhay S Oka, known for his unwavering commitment to liberty and constitutional values, bid farewell to the Supreme Court of India. In his final address, he stressed his dedication to upholding constitutional liberties, emphasizing that it was his "honest endeavor" to fulfill the dream of the Constitution's framers. He also expressed gratitude to the bar and his colleagues for their support and shared heartfelt memories from his time on the bench. Justice Oka's departure marks the end of a distinguished judicial career spanning over two decades, during which he served as a judge of the Bombay High Court, Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, and ultimately, as a Supreme Court justice.
The committee said the Uttar Pradesh government did not file appeals against the high court's November 8, 2023 order and instead, an impleadment application was filed in the pending plea before the top court.
The Special Marriage Act, 1954 provides a legal framework for the marriage of people belonging to different religions or castes. It governs a civil marriage where the state sanctions the marriage rather than the religion.
On February 1, grappling with the intractable issue of the AMU's minority status, the top court said the 1981 amendment to the AMU Act, which effectively accorded it a minority status, only did a "half-hearted job" and did not restore the institution the position it had prior to 1951.
Highlights of the judgment pronounced by a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court that on Monday unanimously upheld the Centre's decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution bestowing special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Supreme Court of India has criticized the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for focusing solely on its own fundamental rights while pursuing a money laundering case related to the Nagrik Apurti Nigam (NAN) scam in Chhattisgarh. The court questioned the agency's attempt to transfer the case to New Delhi, noting that the agency's petition under Article 32 of the Constitution is typically reserved for individuals seeking redressal for fundamental rights violations.
The Bombay high court on Monday ordered a first information report (FIR) against five policemen for the custodial death of Badlapur sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde, allegedly shot dead in a police van in September 2024, and setting up of an Special Investigation Team, noting that a prima facie offence is disclosed.
A Governor does not possess any discretion in exercise of functions under Article 200 of the Constitution in respect to any bill presented to them and must mandatorily abide by the advice tendered by the council of ministers, the Supreme Court has held.
The CBI has filed a case against six Jammu and Kashmir police officials for allegedly torturing a fellow constable in custody. The case was registered following a Supreme Court order.
Swamy Shraddananda, jailed for 30 years for killing his wife, has moved the Supreme Court seeking authorities to decide his mercy plea before the President in December, 2023.
The Supreme Court of India has sought responses from the Centre and others on a petition challenging the blocking of the YouTube channel '4PM'. The petitioner, Sanjay Sharma, the Editor of the channel, alleges that the blocking order, issued by an intermediary based on an undisclosed direction from the Centre, violates his right to free speech and the public's right to information. The plea argues that the blocking was based on vague grounds of 'national security' and 'public order' without any opportunity to be heard. The court has issued notices to the Centre and others seeking their responses on the petition.
Every word uttered by a minister has to be with a sense of responsibility at a time the country is undergoing "such a situation", the Supreme Court said on Thursday as it reprimanded Madhya Pradesh's Vijay Shah who is facing an FIR for his remarks targeting Col Sofiya Qureshi.
The matter would be heard by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih.
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