Explore Business Standard
Constitution
Taking a swipe at the RSS-BJP on Constitution Day, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday alleged that the Sangh's role was to attack and undermine it, and that role had been taken forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah "who have been subverting constitutional principles in a calculated manner". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the RSS "had no role whatsoever" in the making of the Constitution "On Saturday, November 26 1949, the Constituent Assembly met at 10 AM with Dr. Rajendra Prasad in the Chair. Before formally putting the motion for the adoption of the draft Constitution of India that had been moved by Dr. Ambedkar the previous day to the vote, Dr Rajendra Prasad made his remarks," Ramesh recalled. "In his speech explaining the background to and highlights of the Draft that was soon to be adopted, Dr. Rajendra Prasad recalled: 'The method which the Constituent Assembly adopted in connection with the ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged citizens to fulfil their Constitutional duties, asserting that these were foundations for a strong democracy. In a letter to citizens on Constitution Day, the prime minister also stressed the responsibility of strengthening democracy by exercising the right to vote, and suggested that schools and colleges celebrate Constitution Day by honouring first-time voters turning 18. Modi recalled Mahatma Gandhi's belief that rights flow from the performance of duties, stressing that fulfilling duties is the foundation for social and economic progress. He underscored that the policies and decisions taken today will shape the lives of generations to come, and urged citizens to place their duties foremost in their minds as India moves towards the vision of a Viksit Bharat. Our Constitution gives utmost importance to human dignity, equality and liberty. While it empowers us with rights, it also reminds us of our duties as citizens, which we should
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday paid homage to B R Ambedkar, Rajendra Prasad and all the members of the Constituent Assembly on Constitution day, underlining that the Constitution provides every citizen with equal opportunity and rights to pave the way for strong nation-building. In a message on 'X' in Hindi, Shah said,"On this Constitution Day, | pay homage to Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Ji, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Ji, along with all the great members of the Constituent Assembly, and extend my heartfelt greetings to the fellow citizens." "The Constitution of India, the world's largest democracy, provides every citizen with equal opportunities, a life of dignity, national duties, and rights, thereby paving the way for strong nation-building," he wrote. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated Constitution Day and worked to make the citizens more aware of democratic values, Shah said. Constitution Day or Samvidhan Divas commemorates the official adoption of the Indian ..
The Congress on Tuesday recalled that BR Ambedkar had moved the resolution in the Constituent Assembly 76 years ago for the formal adoption of the draft Constitution and claimed that Ambedkar as well as the Constitution were then subject to a "ferocious assault" by the RSS which has continued since. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also recalled that in his closing speech before moving the resolution, Ambedkar had hailed the role of the Congress in drafting the Constitution. Today, exactly 76 years ago, Dr. Ambedkar moved the resolution in the Constituent Assembly for the formal adoption of the Draft Constitution of India, he said. "Ambedkar's closing speech on that occasion is undoubtedly one of the greatest ever made by anybody anywhere in the 20th century," Ramesh said on X. "During the initial part of his speech, Dr. Ambedkar had said this: 'The task of the Drafting Committee would have been a very difficult one if this Constituent Assembly had
Judicial crisis in Pakistan deepened on Saturday with a senior judge of Lahore High Court following suit of two Supreme Court judges who resigned protesting the assault on the constitution and judiciary through a new constitutional amendment. Under the amended legislation, a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) was set up to deal with matters related to the Constitution, while the existing Supreme Court would deal only with traditional civil and criminal cases. The 27th Constitutional Amendment will also allow Army Chief Gen Asim Munir to stay in office till 2030 as Chief of Defense Forces (CDF). Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza tendered his resignation becoming the first judge to resign from any high court after the contentious amendment was enacted into law. Justice Mirza was due to superannuate on March 6, 2028.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday urged the people of Bihar to vote for jobs, education, health, and industry, as well as for the protection of democracy and the Constitution. Her remarks came as voting was underway for 122 constituencies in Bihar in the second and final phase of the high-stakes assembly polls amid tight security arrangements. The polling began at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm. "Today is the second and final phase of voting in Bihar. I appeal to all my brothers and sisters in the state to participate enthusiastically in this grand festival of democracy," she said in a post in Hindi on X. "Vote for jobs, education, health, and industry, for the protection of democracy and the Constitution, for Bihar's bright future, and form a government that works dedicatedly for you," the Congress general secretary said. For the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc, the final round of polling is being seen as a crucial test to retain the support of various ..
Pakistan on Saturday brought in a Constitutional amendment to create a new post of chief of defence forces to ensure greater coordination and unified command among the three services. The 27th Constitutional Amendment bill presented in parliament proposes changes to Article 243 of the Constitution, which deals with the armed forces among other issues. Under the amendment bill, the President will appoint the Army Chief and the Chief of Defence Force on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Chief of Army Staff, who will also be the Chief of Defence Forces, will appoint the head of the National Strategic Command in consultation with the Prime Minister. The head of the National Strategic Command will be from the Pakistan Army, it adds. The government will be able to promote individuals from the armed forces to the ranks of Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force and Admiral of the Fleet. The rank and privileges of Field Marshal will be for life, meaning that Field Marshals will remain
Senior advocate Harish Salve on Saturday said that some of India's finest judges were appointed during a period when the executive held full control over judicial appointments. It may be time to revisit the current system and correct that "folly," he said. Delivering the 'Kartavyam' Constitutional Lecture organised by the Campus Law Centre of Delhi University as part of a celebration marking 75 years of the Indian Constitution, Salve reflected on the evolution of the judge appointment process and the rise of the Collegium system. "In 1991, we fought against complete executive domination, when, in the era of initial coalition politics, some very strange things happened in the kind of judges who were appointed. Before that, some of the finest Indian judges came from a system in which the executive had, in theory, complete freedom to appoint judges," the former solicitor general said. Several "fiercely independent judges" were appointed by the government of the day, he said. "But the
Observing that public trust is the judiciary's "most valuable asset", Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Thursday said that courts have an active and indispensable role to play in the system of constitutional governance and in fulfilling the mandate of the Constitution. The CJI noted that perhaps the most enduring role of courts in constitutional governance is to sustain public faith in the rule of law, adding that decisions delivered by courts, even if unpopular, must reflect fairness and moral courage. Justice Gavai, who is presently on a four-day official visit to Bhutan, delivered the keynote address at an event organised by the Jigme Singye Wangchuck (JSW) School of Law at the Royal Institute of Management, Thimphu. Speaking on the theme of "courts and constitutional governance", he touched upon many aspects, including the active role of courts. "I will not burden you with more case examples, but I wish to emphasise a larger point: that the courts of any nation have an active
The Constitution has ensured the country remains strong and united while neighbouring nations are facing civil unrest and turmoil, Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai said on Sunday. Speaking after inaugurating a court building in Mandangad taluka in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, the CJI expressed happiness that it has come up in an area that also contains Ambavde, the native village of the Constitution's chief architect and legendary social reformer Babasaheb Ambedkar. "The country has remained united and on the path of development in war and peace. We have seen internal Emergency as well but we have remained strong and united. It is because of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution, which sets us apart from neighbouring countries that are witnessing turmoil," Justice Gavai said. Civil unrest in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and most recently in Nepal have seen change in governments as well as large-scale distress to citizens due to rioting and arson. "In the last 22 years as a judge,
Thailand's new prime minister told lawmakers on Monday that his government would address the country's economic woes, find solutions to the ongoing border conflict with Cambodia through diplomacy and push for a new and more democratic constitution. Anutin Charnvirakul faces a self-imposed deadline. He had promised to call elections in four months in exchange for the People's Party which holds the most seats in Parliament supporting his bid to become prime minister. He was elected to Parliament earlier this month. The party has a progressive platform and has long sought to change the existing constitution imposed under military rule, saying it wants to make it more democratic. Anutin had promised to call a referendum for an elected constituent assembly to draft a new charter. He said in his inaugural speech in Parliament on Monday that his government will support the referendum and public participation to uphold the country's constitutional monarchy. Anutin also promised to tackle
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will only interpret the Constitution while dealing with the Presidential reference on whether the court could impose timelines for governors and President to deal with bills passed by state assemblies. The remark by a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai came when Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said if senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for parties opposing the reference, is going to rely on examples of constitutional provisions which concerned Andhra Pradesh, among others, then he needs to file a reply, as he has not argued on those aspects. Mehta told a bench also comprising Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar, "If they (Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments) are going to rely on examples of Andhra Pradesh etc ... we would like to file a reply on this. Since, we need to show how the Constitution was taken on a joyride since its inception... let us see if we want to travel down that dirty path." CJI
Article 32 of the Constitution empowers the court to reopen sentencing in cases of capital punishment on grounds of breach of procedural safeguards, the Supreme Court said on Monday while agreeing to hear again a death row convict's plea. Vasant Sampat Dupare, who belongs to Nagpur, was convicted of raping and killing a four-year-old in April 2008. He lured her with chocolates and crushed her head with stones to avoid identification of the body. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta allowed the convict's plea filed under Article 32 noting that there had been a breach of procedural safeguards. It also cited the 2022 Manoj Vs Madhya Pradesh judgement in which the top court issued several guidelines and mandated the trial courts to collect the accused's psychiatric and psychological evaluation report before awarding death. "We hold that Article 32 of the Constitution empowers this court in cases related to capital punishment to reopen the sentencing stage whe