Supreme Court

SC to hear Meta-WhatsApp privacy policy case against CCI order on Monday

The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday pleas of Meta and WhatsApp against a Competition Commission of India (CCI) order imposing a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore over their privacy policy. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi is likely to hear the matter. On February 3, the bench had made strong observations against Meta Platforms Inc and WhatsApp, saying they could not "play with the right to privacy of citizens in the name of data sharing" and alleged that they were creating a monopoly in the market and committing theft of private information of customers. Decrying WhatsApp's privacy policy, the bench referred to "silent customers" who were unorganised, digitally dependent and unaware of the implications of data-sharing policies, and asserted, "We will not allow the rights of any citizen of this country to be damaged." WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms Inc. The top court was hearing the appeals of the t

SC remands to Madhya Pradesh HC pleas concerning OBC reservation in state

The Supreme Court has remanded a batch of pleas concerning the validity of the enhancement in OBC reservation in Madhya Pradesh from 14 per cent to 27 per cent to the state high court. In 2019, the state decided to increase the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota in Madhya Pradesh from 14 per cent to 27 per cent in government jobs and education. While asking the chief justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court to constitute a special bench for hearing these matters, the top court said the pleas be decided within three months. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe passed the order on February 19 while hearing a batch of pleas on the issue. "We are of the opinion that the High Court of Madhya Pradesh will be in the best position to consider, take a holistic view of the need as well as the legality of the affirmative action for the state," the bench said. It said that while affirmative action and reservations are the constitutional obligations and prerogatives of state polic

Law must shift from 'fortress to forum' for wider access: CJI Surya Kant

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday said that "law cannot remain a fortress erected to protect society from arbitrariness", and called on the young lawyers to make it a "forum" where differences are debated, rights articulated and power is reasoned with. Kant, during his address -- "From Fortress to Forum: Law in an Unfinished Republic" -- at the 18th Convocation of National Law University here, urged the professionals to see law not as a closed citadel but as a living, evolving public space. The CJI invoked the Mehrangarh Fort as a powerful metaphor for the historical journey of law. "A fortress is built to defend, to guard against disorder and uncertainty. In its earliest conception, law resembled such a structure, erected to protect society from arbitrariness and chaos," he said. "But in a constitutional democracy, he said, law cannot remain a fortress alone. It must transform into a forum where differences are debated, rights articulated and power reasoned with," he .

SC flags uneven compliance in solid waste management, issues directions

Flagging the "uneven" compliance with the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules across India, the Supreme Court has said the present generation cannot afford to wait for further legislative refinement while existing implementation gaps persist. Observing that the right to a clean and healthy environment is an "inseparable part" of the right to life, the court issued a slew of pan-India directions to ensure that the executive has the requisite mechanism required to enforce the SWM Rules, 2026, which will be effective from April 1. A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and S V N Bhatti said neglecting municipal solid waste will affect health as much as the economy and India must be fully-compliant with the 2026 Rules when the world looks at the country in technology-related activities. "Compliance of MSW/SWM Rules meant to govern waste management remains uneven across India. While mandated at source, the segregation at source into wet, dry and hazardous streams is still not fully realised in

Calcutta High Court holds high-level meet on SIR after SC directive

A high-level meeting on the SIR exercise began at the Calcutta High Court on Saturday afternoon, in accordance with the SC's directives, officials said. The meeting, presided over by HC Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, aims to establish a framework for judicial oversight as mandated by the apex court, they said. The meeting follows the Supreme Court's direction that the remaining stages of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls must now be conducted under the supervision of judicial officers and former judges. Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal were among the officers attending the meeting. The CEO said the meeting would allow all stakeholders to present their "points of view" to resolve existing complexities and receive specific directions on the way forward. Dismayed over the ongoing tussle between the West Bengal government and the Election Commission, the Supreme Court on Friday issued an "extraordinary" direction to .

Expanding green cover key to improving Delhi-NCR air quality: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court observed that expanding green cover is a sustainable, long-term measure to improve Delhi-NCR's air quality as it reconstituted an expert panel for afforestation efforts

Trump tariffs struck down: A timeline of how the trade upheaval unfolded

President Trump last year invoked emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs on imports; A year later, the Supreme Court ruled he exceeded his authority, ending an aggressive tariff regime

India must review US trade deal after SC tariff ruling, says GTRI

GTRI says the US Supreme Court's decision striking down Trump's global tariffs frees most Indian exports from reciprocal duties, prompting a reassessment of the new bilateral trade deal

SC to hear CCI appeal on ₹32.76 lakh interest claim in UII case in March

The Supreme Court has adjourned to March the CCI's appeal against a Delhi HC ruling that quashed its ₹32.76-lakh interest demand in the United India Insurance bid-rigging penalty case

SC orders deployment of judicial officers in Bengal's SIR exercise

In an extraordinary order, the Supreme Court on Friday directed deployment of serving and former district judges to assist the Election Commission in the controversy-ridden special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal. Ruing the "unfortunate blame game" between the EC and the TMC-led government, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi passed a slew of fresh directions to ensure completion of the special intensive revision (SIR) process in the state. The bench ordered deputation of judicial officers for adjudication of claims and objections of persons put under logical discrepancy list. It asked the Calcutta High Court chief justice to spare judicial officers and find former judges to assist in SIR work as it took serious note of state government not sparing enough grade 'A' officers for the revision exercise. The top court permitted the EC to publish a draft list of voters in the state by February 28 while allowing the p

Anil Ambani tells Supreme Court he won't leave India without nod

Anil Ambani submits an affidavit to the Supreme Court stating he will not travel abroad without permission and will continue cooperating with ED and CBI in the RCOM fraud investigations

SC flags fiscal strain of pre-poll freebies, questions power subsidies

Bench led by the CJI warns that unchecked largesse strains taxpayers, deepens deficits and may weaken economic foundations as States expand subsidies ahead of elections

SC to begin hearing anti-CAA pleas from May 5, pan-India matters first

The bench said it will hear the pleas related to pan-India application of the CAA first and then take note of the petitions pertaining to Assam and Tripura later

SC slams freebies culture, says states should open avenues for employment

The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the freebies culture, saying it was high time to revisit such policies that hamper the country's economic development. Taking note of the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd's plea, which proposed to provide free electricity to all irrespective of financial status of consumers, the top court said it was quite understandable if states hand-hold the poor. "Most of the states in the country are revenue deficit states and yet they are offering such freebies" overlooking development, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said. The bench said economic development of the nation gets hampered with this kind of largesse distribution and states should work to open avenues for employment instead of giving free food, cycles, electricity to all. The top court, however, issued notice to Centre and others on the plea of the DMK government-led power distribution firm which proposes to provide fr

Bail norms in heinous crimes apply equally to serious economic offences: SC

The Supreme Court set aside an Allahabad High Court bail order, holding that principles used in heinous crimes must also guide bail decisions in large-scale financial fraud cases

Supreme Court's spectrum ruling risks weakening insolvency framework

The insolvency estate encompasses enforceable rights and interests, no less than ownership of property

Pune Porsche crash case: SC grants bail to accused in 2024 accident

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to an accused in the 2024 Pune Porsche accident case on grounds of parity. The case relates to a May 19, 2024, incident in which a Porsche car allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy under the influence of alcohol, fatally knocked down two IT professionals in Pune's Kalyani Nagar area. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that Ashpak Basha Makandar had been in jail since 20 months while three other accused have already been granted bail. It was alleged that Makandar facilitated the criminal conspiracy to tamper with medical evidence by swapping of blood samples of the minor occupants with those of their guardians at the hospital. "Senior counsel appearing for the appellant submitted that the appellant is similarly placed to the co-accused who has already been granted bail in this matter. Bail granted in terms of the order passed," the bench said. The top court on February 2 had granted bail to three accused in the case

I-PAC raids: SC adjourns to Mar 18 ED's plea against interference by Mamata

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to March 18 the hearing on a plea moved by the ED alleging obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its search operation at the I-PAC office and the premises of its director in connection with an alleged coal pilferage scam. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan deferred the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that a rejoinder will be filed during the day. The top court on January 15 said the West Bengal chief minister's alleged "obstruction" in ED's probe is "very serious" and agreed to examine if a state's law-enforcing agencies can interfere with any central agency's probe into any serious offence as it stayed FIRs against the agency's officials who raided political consultancy I-PAC on January 8. The top court, while staying the FIRs filed in West Bengal against ED officials, also directed the state police to protect the CCTV footage of the ...

Supreme Court flags rising use of unverified AI inputs in court filings

Supreme Court has cautioned against unverified AI-generated material in filings after spotting fictitious and inaccurate citations, reminding lawyers that accuracy must be ensured

SC disposes Think & Learn plea, protects 25.75% Aakash stake till NCLAT

The Supreme Court has closed Think & Learn's appeal after recording Aakash's undertaking that its 25.75% stake will remain protected until NCLAT decides a pending plea