The Supreme Court of India has observed that the practice of excommunicating Parsi women for entering into interfaith marriages is prima facie discriminatory, emphasising that the right of conscience is a birthright.
The Supreme Court of India has agreed to examine a constitutional challenge regarding gender discrimination within Parsi personal law, specifically focusing on whether a Parsi woman loses her religious identity upon marrying outside the community.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea on May 29 seeking a direction to the Nagpur Parsi Panchayat to treat a Parsi woman equally with her male counterparts, even after she marries a person of another faith, challenging a rule that allegedly strips Parsi women of their religious identity upon inter-faith marriage.
A nine-judge Supreme Court bench has commenced hearing on petitions related to discrimination against women at religious places, including the Sabarimala temple, and the scope of religious freedom across faiths.
A nine-judge Supreme Court bench has reserved its order on petitions related to discrimination against women at religious places, including the Sabarimala temple, and the scope of religious freedom.
The Supreme Court has announced that a nine-judge bench will begin final hearings on petitions related to discrimination against women in religions, including the Sabarimala Temple case, starting April 7.
The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that the restriction on women of menstruating age entering Kerala's Sabarimala temple is a matter of religious faith and denominational autonomy, falling outside the purview of judicial review. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that courts should not apply 'secular standards of reason' to religious practices.
'Parsis are inclined towards people who work for the welfare of others.'
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced a new border security initiative, including land transfer to the BSF and a 'detect, delete and deport' policy targeting infiltrators.
'Sometimes it can get a little difficult to assert yourself, whether it's an opinion or your presence. It gets really exhausting.' 'They're still not able to accept that an intelligent woman can also really love wearing red lipstick!'
Vijay Varma delivers a tour de force performance in Nagraj Popatrao Manjule's Matka King, a compelling eight-part series that chronicles the rise and fall of a gambling trailblazer in 1960s-1970s Bombay, notes Sukanya Verma.
Aseem Chhabra lists his top 10 films from this year's Sundance festival, a blend of narratives and documentaries made in the US and other parts of the world.
'A majority of filmmakers cannot truly understand the city because they don't live here,' says Anusha Rizvi, Director, The Great Shamsuddin Family.
On his 200th birth anniversary, Utkarsh Mishra traces the life, thought, and legacy of Dadabhai Naoroji, the Grand Old Man of India.
From dating apps to events, the shrinking community is innovating ways to encourage the young to marry within the faith.
The book, to be introduced in schools from the 2025-2026 academic year, marks a shift in tone in its portrayal of the Mughal emperors, offering detailed accounts of conquest, religious decisions, cultural contributions, and brutality.
'They wanted the city to be a great business hub. They didn't like the fact that taxes collected in Bombay would go outside the city.'
The court will consider issues related to entry of Muslim women into mosques, female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community and barring of Parsi women, married to non-Parsi men, from the holy fire place at Agiary.
The SC issued a notice informing listing of petition filed by Indian Young Lawyers Association seeking review of its 2018 judgment. The bench will also look at other contentious issues of alleged discrimination against Muslim and Parsi women.
Pakistani Hindu refugees residing in Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila are experiencing anxiety over their visa status despite government clarifications regarding Long Term Visas (LTVs). The government's decision to revoke all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, has left many refugees worried about their future. While LTVs for Hindu Pakistani nationals remain valid, the renewal process every two years and ongoing citizenship applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, have fueled concerns. The Delhi Police has initiated a verification drive, adding to the unease among the refugees, who fear being uprooted yet again. The article highlights the plight of these refugees, who have fled Pakistan seeking a better life in India, and the uncertainties they face in the current political climate.
Former Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton Nariman has warned that events similar to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre could occur if the 'basic structure' doctrine of the Constitution is diluted. In his new book, 'The Basic Structure Doctrine: Protector of Constitutional Integrity,' Nariman argues that the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati judgment, which established the doctrine, is essential for protecting fundamental rights and preventing constitutional amendments that could lead to such tragedies. Nariman's concerns are echoed by Supreme Court judge Justice K V Viswanathan, who applauds the book for its "chilling clarity" and underscores the importance of the Kesavananda Bharati ruling. The book provides a detailed analysis of the doctrine and its implications, highlighting the robustness of the Kesavananda Bharati judgment and the lack of a compelling alternative theory.
The Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, with the ruling NDA defending it as beneficial for minorities while the opposition called it "anti-Muslim". All amendments moved by the opposition were rejected and the bill was passed with 288 votes in favor and 232 against. Union Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted that India is the safest place in the world for minorities, refuting claims of their insecurity.
The judges on the bench are CJI S A Bobde, Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan, L Nageswara Rao, M M Shantanagoudar, S A Nazeer, R Subhash Reddy, B R Gavai and Surya Kant.
Be it a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Parsi, Buddhist or Jain, everyone is welcome at the dargah, Rijiju said.
'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.'
'Be responsible, don't use a condom tonight' goes an advertising campaign that is an insult to the intelligence of a community that is by no means ignorant or illiterate, argues Sherna Gandhy.
The apex court's observation came when senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for a woman devotee, Bindu Ammini, alleged violation of the 2018 verdict and said her client was attacked for her bid to enter the shrine.
More than 4,200 Parsis have so far given their blood samples for a genome project that aims at a comprehensive study of Zoroastrian individuals to explore the genetic basis of their longevity and higher incidence of breast cancer among their women.The first focus of the analysis would be breast cancer and diabetes. "The output of this work should be visible in 2011 on these two specific areas," said Dr Villoo Morawala-Patell, a Parsi and the brain behind the project.
Queenie Hallegua, who passed away at 89 in August, was almost the last of the Sephardi Jews in Fort Kochi. Her son Dr David Hallegua reflects on his mother's death and of his life growing up in Kerala.
The SC is dealing with legal and constitutional issues relating to discrimination against women in various religions and at religious places including Kerala's Sabarimala Temple.
They call themselves Zoroastrian Youth For The Next Generation -- and with their first-of-a-kind calendar, ZYNG have packed as much of a punch as their name!
'The girl who helps me at home has had a tough life, yet her perspective of life is so much more positive than mine despite the hardships she's endured.'
Eighteen Hindu refugees from Pakistan residing in Ahmedabad have been granted Indian citizenship during a camp attended by Gujarat minister of state for home Harsh Sanghavi.
A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde at the outset said that it will only deal with the issues referred to it by a five-judge bench on November 14 in the Sabarimala case, and asked the lawyers to convene a meeting on January 17 to decide on 're-framing' or adding additional issues to be deliberated upon by it.
The apex court said it would endeavour to constitute the larger bench at the earliest to hear the matter.
The Left government in Kerala on Thursday withdrew a handbook for police personnel on duty at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala after the Bharatiya Janata Party raised a hue and cry over a mention in the book that all pilgrims can enter the temple.
His comments come against the backdrop of a campaign by Opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, which has claimed that applying for CAA would turn legal citizens into foreigners.