Justice

Personnel ministry thrust on prompt redressal of public grievances in 2024

Prompt redressal of public grievances, promotion of digital life certificates among pensioners and generation of wealth from disposal of scrap were some of the key initiatives undertaken by the personnel ministry this year. Besides these, the ministry was in the news due to a row on lateral recruitment drive which was eventually withdrawn over the lack of a reservation provision. It was also involved in dealing with the issue of misuse of power and privileges by now-sacked IAS officer Puja Khedkar. Speaking to PTI on the ministry's achievements in 2024, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said several initiatives were undertaken to further ensure ease of governance for people, especially those living in far flung areas. "The ministry is proactively following the mantra of 'maximum governance and minimum government' given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For instance, the average time for disposal of public grievances has come down from 28 days in 2019 to 13 days in

Manual scavenging, accessibility reforms among Centre's agenda for 2025

Building on the groundwork laid in 2024, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will be focussing on achieving nationwide manual scavenging-free status and improving accessibility for persons with disabilities next year. Even though the ministry has time and again said that manual scavenging no longer exists in the country, only 257 districts have uploaded their manual scavenging-free certificates on the central government portal. The ministry has urged the remaining districts to update their status promptly. Under the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem' (NAMASTE) scheme, 54,574 sewer and septic tank workers have been profiled, of whom 37,060 (67 per cent) belong to the Scheduled Castes category, a senior official said. The ministry aims to prioritise their rehabilitation next year. Also, the NAMASTE scheme will expand further in 2025, with plans to profile 2,50,000 waste pickers across the country, the official said. The programme will offer waste pickers

Farmers pleading for justice as Modi govt betrayed them repeatedly: Kharge

Slamming the Centre, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said farmers are pleading for justice because the Modi government "betrayed them again and again", and asserted that the tillers' right to raise their voice should not be taken away from them. Kharge asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why farmers have to come to Delhi's doorstep again and again for justice. "Today, when you will be on a tour to Haryana and Rajasthan, I hope that you will definitely try to understand the struggle of the farmer who provides food to the nation. Farmers are pleading for justice because your government has betrayed them again and again," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X. "The betrayal of not doubling farmers' income by 2022, the betrayal of not implementing Input Cost + 50% MSP as per the Swaminathan report, and the betrayal of forming a committee to give legal status to MSP but not acting on it," he said, slamming the Modi government. Kharge claimed that there was neither ..

Legal matter involving private firms and US justice dept: MEA on Adani case

'Wholly unconstitutional': SC rules on bulldozer justice by state govts

Issues guidelines such as giving a 15-day notice period to challenge demolition

Forensic probe all set to boost conviction rate in serious crime cases

With BNS making such investigation mandatory in serious crime cases that attract seven years' imprisonment or above, more and more criminals are likely to be brought to justice in the next five years

Pakistan ranked 3rd worst country in law and order by World Justice Project

The report not only depicts the deteriorating law and order in the state but also depicts the breakdown of trust in the government, whose work is to uphold the integrity of the nation

Supreme Court Bar objects to new Lady Justice statue without blindfold

The new statue, with open eyes, symbolises that Indian law is guided by awareness and vision, unlike the traditional blindfolded Lady Justice

Justice will no longer be 'blind': Supreme Court embraces new symbolism

The blindfold, long associated with impartiality and equality before the law, has been replaced with open eyes

Ethel Kennedy, social activist and widow of Robert F Kennedy, dies at 96

Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family's legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, her family said. She was 96. Kennedy had been hospitalised after suffering a stroke in her sleep on October 3, her family said. It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother, Joe Kennedy III posted on X. She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week. The Kennedy matriarch, whose children were Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas and Rory, was one of the last remaining member of a generation that included President John F. Kennedy. Her family said she had recently enjoyed seeing many of her relatives, before falling ill. She has had a great summer and transition into fall, said a family statement, issued after she was hospitalised. Every day s

NITI Aayog to overhaul schemes for SC/STs, minorities & vulnerable groups

The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office of NITI Aayog has sought proposals from consultancy firms to support the evaluation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes

Protect citizens rights, ensure speedy justice for victims: HM Shah to DGPs

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday urged the country's top police officers to protect the constitutional rights of citizens and ensure speedy and timely justice for victims. On the second day of the two-day National Security Strategies Conference-2024 here, Shah asserted that it has become necessary to identify emerging national security challenges like rogue drones, online frauds, and narcotics, and tackle them before they become major challenges. Addressing the Director Generals of Police, Shah said, "I urge you to protect the constitutional rights of citizens and ensure speedy and timely justice for victims." He proposed a detailed strategy to augment counter-terrorism efforts, including cooperation with international agencies and enhancing capacities to prevent terror financing. "It is now incumbent to identify emerging national security challenges, including narcotics, rogue drones and online frauds and tackle them before they become major challenges," he said addressin

Establishment of Gram Nyayalayas will improve access to justice: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said establishment of Gram Nyayalayas across the country would help improve access to justice. An Act passed by Parliament in 2008 provided for the establishment of Gram Nyayalayas at the grassroots level for providing access to justice to the citizens at their doorsteps and to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to anyone because of social, economic or other disabilities. A bench headed by Justice B R Gavai was hearing a plea seeking a direction to the Centre and all states for taking steps to set up 'Gram Nyayalayas' under the supervision of the apex court. During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner NGO National Federation of Societies for Fast Justice and others, said only about five to six per cent of Gram Nyayalayas have been set up till now. "Some of the states are saying we don't need Gram Nyayalayas because we have Nyaya Panchayats," Bhushan told the bench, which also comprised Justices P

Medic rape-murder: Protesters take to streets demanding justice for victim

Slogans demanding justice for the RG Kar rape-murder victim reverberated the air at the stroke of midnight on Sunday across Kolkata and many other cities and towns in West Bengal. Protesters, both women and men, young and old took to the streets, forming human chains, writing graffiti on the roads, holding burning torches and singing the national anthem as many waved the tricolour, the only flag allowed in the apolitical rallies across the state by the civil society, to register their protest against the murder of the young doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital a month ago on August 9. With the Supreme Court scheduled to hear the suo motu case related to the crime on Monday, many participants in the third instance of 'Reclaim the night' in the state said they were confident that justice will be provided by the apex court. While some named the victim doctor 'Tilottama', many others referred to her as 'Abhaya', but all were together in their quest for justice for her. Every

Kolkata hospital rape-murder: Police detains East Bengal, Mohun Bagan football fans during protest

Technology should be means of ensuring justice to everyone: CJI Chandrachud

CJI informed that the central government has given approximately Rs 7,000 crores to all the state governments to regenerate the information infrastructure

US sues TikTok, parent company ByteDance over children privacy violations

In March, a source told Reuters the FTC could resolve a probe into TikTok over allegedly faulty privacy and data security practices by either filing suit or reaching a settlement

World Day for International Justice 2024: History, significance and more

The ICC came into effect in 1998 to prosecute individuals for grave crimes and World Day for International Justice is an initiative to support the rule of law, justice and accountability

New criminal laws must be welcomed with changed mindset: Bombay HC CJ

Bombay High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya has said it is a natural tendency to resist change, but the newly enacted criminal laws need to be welcomed and implemented with a changed mindset. He has urged those responsible for delivering justice under the new legal framework, to be implemented from Monday, to embrace their responsibilities. Speaking at an event on Sunday organised by the Ministry of Law and Justice, titled 'India's Progressive Path in the Administration of Criminal Justice System,' CJ Upadhyaya underscored the critical role of effective implementation. "It is our natural tendency to resist change or we loathe to come out of our comfort zone. It is a fear of the unknown that causes this resistance and engulfs our rationale," he said. Notably, three new criminal laws will come into effect across the country from Monday, bringing widespread changes in India's criminal justice system and ending colonial-era laws. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya

Implementation of criminal laws, adoption of AI key tasks for law ministry

Chief Justice of India, Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had said here that the new Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita(BNSS) provides a holistic approach to deal with crimes in the digital age