Page 153 - Supreme Court

Electoral bonds: Petition seeks action against SBI for disobeying SC order

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking contempt action against the State Bank of India (SBI) alleging it "wilfully and deliberately" disobeyed the apex court's direction to submit details of contributions made to political parties through electoral bonds to the Election Commission by March 6. The plea, filed by two NGOs, claimed SBI's application seeking extension of time till June 30 to disclose the details of electoral bonds encashed by political parties has been deliberately filed at the last moment to ensure that details of donor and the amount of donations are not disclosed to the public before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Thursday took note of the submissions by advocate Prashant Bhushan, who appeared on behalf of NGOs Association for Democratic Reforms and Common Cause, that he wanted initiation of contempt proceedings against the SBI. Bhushan said the SBI's application is likely to be listed on March 11

People have right to clean air, water: SC on Vedanta's TN plant closure

People have a right to breathe clean air, drink clean water and live a life free from disease and sickness, the Supreme Court has said, while upholding the principle of sustainable development and coming down hard on polluting industries. In a reasoned order on the closure of the Vedanta group firm Sterlite Copper in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said closure of industry is not a matter of first choice but the nature of violations by the unit and repeated and severe breaches of environmental norms would have left neither the statutory authorities nor the Madras High Court with the option to take any other view unless they were to be oblivious of their plain duty. The bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, had on February 29 dismissed an appeal of Vedanta Ltd. against the high court order upholding the closure of the copper smelting plant, closed since May 2018 over pollution concerns. "It is an undeniable and ...

SC seeks Centre's reply on PIL seeking palliative care in health programme

The Supreme Court sought the Centre's response on Thursday on a PIL seeking a direction to authorities to provide palliative care to terminally-ill persons as part of the national health programme. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions made by senior advocate Jayna Kothari, who appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioner, that palliative care should be recognised and made part of the national health programme. The court did not agree to one of the prayers in the public interest litigation (PIL) matter filed by Bengaluru resident Rajshree Nagaraju that the right to get palliative care be declared as a part of right to health under Article 21 (protection of life and liberty) of the Constitution. "You seek mandamus (a writ) stating palliative care comes under Article 21. I do not think that you need to pursue this prayer. The right to palliative care is part of the right to health and life.... ...

Health Ministry to consult with states on standardising healthcare costs

The SC criticised the central government for its failure to set range rates for private hospitals, leading to disparities in cost of treatment between government and private healthcare

SC hears case on Parliament's authority over state taxes on mineral rights

The original case dates back to 1992, when the Bihar government, through an amendment, imposed additional taxes on land revenue coming from mineral-bearing lands leased out to mining industries

SBI should follow SC deadline on electoral bond: Bank employees' union

The State Bank of India should adhere to the deadline set by the Supreme Court to disclose to the Election Commission the names of contributors to electoral bond scheme, a bank employees' trade union demanded on Wednesday. The SBI on Monday had moved the top court seeking an extension of time till June 30 to disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties. In its verdict last month, the court had directed the bank to furnish the details to the poll panel by March 6. In a statement issued in Kolkata, the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) also alleged that public sector banks and its personnel are being utilised for "narrow political interest of the ruling forces" and said it opposes this. The BEFI is a union consisting of employees of commercial banks, the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, regional rural banks and co-operative banks. Calling the Supreme Court's verdict on electoral bonds a "landmark" judgment, the union said, "The country observed that SBI

Centre must be concerned with fiscal mismanagement of states: Supreme Court

Fiscal mismanagement by states is an issue the union government has to be concerned about as it impacts the nation's economy, the Supreme Court observed on Wednesday and advised the Centre and the Kerala government to iron out their differences a cap on net borrowing by the southern state. The apex court made the observation while it was hearing a suit filed by the Kerala government accusing the Union of India of interfering in the exercise of its "exclusive, autonomous and plenary powers" to regulate the state's finances by imposing a ceiling on borrowing. The dialogue between the Centre and the state must not stop merely because of the pending suit, the court said while stressing on the need to resolve the issue. "Let all the senior officials who are capable to take decision and who are already involved in decision making sit together and resolve this," a bench of Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan said. The Kerala government had told the top court on February 19 that a ...

NCLAT green lights sale of Jet planes to Ace Aviation, JKC approaches SC

Ace approached the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) two weeks ago seeking to expedite the sale of three aircraft in Mumbai in the same case

Promoting women to leadership roles step in overcoming bias: Justice Kohli

Promoting women to leadership positions, encouraging their participation as key speakers at conferences and ensuring their representation on panels are steps towards overcoming an unconscious bias against them, Supreme Court judge Justice Hima Kolhi has said. Justice Kohli was speaking on Tuesday at a programme organised by the International Arbitration & Mediation Centre, Hyderabad and others here on the topic of The Sociological Dimension of International Arbitration: Impartiality & Diversity'. She said promoting women to leadership positions will recognise the true value which they bring to the table as decision makers. Corporate entities, as significant stakeholders in arbitration, have a critical role to play. They are expected to include women in lists of potential arbitrators or in counsel roles. Providing young women lawyers with internships and opening doors to gaining practical experiences in legal departments and government sectors can pave the way for their future .

Illegal construction in Corbett: SC raps ex-U'khand forest minister Rawat

The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on former Uttarakhand forest minister and Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat and ex-divisional forest officer Kishan Chand for allowing illegal construction and felling of trees in the Corbett tiger reserve. This is a case where bureaucrats and politicians have thrown public trust doctrine in the waste bin, said a bench headed by Justice B R Gavai. The apex court directed the CBI, which is already probing the case, to file its status report in the matter within three months. "They (Rawat and Chand) have in blatant disregard of the law and for commercial purposes indulged in mass felling of trees to construct buildings in the pretext of promotion of tourism," the bench said. The top court said it was amazed at the audacity of Rawat and Chand in giving statutory provisions a total go by. It also formed a committee to look into whether tiger safaris can be permitted in buffer or fringe areas of national parks in the country. The Enforc

Supreme Court bans tiger safari at Jim Corbett, slams illegal constructions

The SC has asked the CBI to submit a status report on the matter in three months

Highlights of the day: Air India resumes flights to Tel Aviv after 5 months

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Competitive ecosystem

The dominance of app stores calls for regulation

Byju's investors file caveats in SC expecting challenge to NCLT's order

MIH Edtech Investments BV, Peak XV Partners Investments, Sofina SA and General Atlantic Singapore TL Pte Ltd filed separate caveats in SC as a precautionary move

SC dismisses 2018 money laundering case against K'taka Dy CM Shivakumar

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a money laundering probe against Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. The Congress leader had moved the top court against the Karnataka High Court order that refused to quash the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons issued to him in an alleged case of money laundering. A bench of justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan granted the relief to Shivakumar. The case dates back to August 2017 when the Income Tax department had carried out searches at multiple premises in Delhi as part of its alleged tax evasion probe against Shivakumar, his alleged business associate and liquor trader Sachin Narayan (45), another associate Sunil Kumar Sharma (46) who operated a fleet of luxury buses, 49-year-old Karnataka Bhawan (Delhi) employee A Hanumanthaiah and former state government employee and caretaker posted at the Karnataka Bhawan Rajendra N (76). The department during the searches had seized more than Rs 8.59 crore, out of which more than Rs 41

Abhijit Gangopadhyay likely to join BJP, resigns as judge of Calcutta HC

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay resigned as a judge of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, sources said. Justice Gangopadhyay sent his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu with copies to CJI DY Chandrachud and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta HC TS Sivagnanam, they said. He came to his chamber at the high court in the morning, following which the resignation letter was sent. He is scheduled to address the press in the afternoon, where he is likely to divulge his future plans, amid speculations that he will join politics. Justice Gangopadhyay had on Sunday announced that he will resign on March 5.

SC directs Centre to clarify process of empanelling of Army officers

Noting a discrepancy in the process of empanelling of Army officers, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to clarify the procedure for male officers as compared to their female counterparts. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked Attorney General R Venkataramani to file an affidavit explaining the central government's position. The direction came after senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for women Army officers, alleged discrimination in the empanelment of women officers. He referred to an earlier order passed by the apex court last year on November 3 and submitted that it required the consideration of all women officers who are considered by the earlier special selection board 3B (for promotion as colonel) except for those officers who are already empanelled. Hence, it is submitted that considering other empanelled officers would amount to a breach of the directions, he said. Venkataramani stated that the concept of empanel

Congress slams Modi govt's desperation as SBI moves SC on electoral bonds

The Congress on Tuesday attacked the Centre over the State Bank of India moving the Supreme Court to seek more time to disclose electoral bond details, alleging that the Modi government is using the largest bank of the country as a shield to hide its "dubious dealings". The State Bank of India (SBI) on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension till June 30 to disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties. In its verdict last month, the top court directed the SBI to furnish the details to the poll panel by March 6. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Congress' position on the electoral bonds scheme is that it is "opaque, undemocratic and destroyed the level playing field". "Modi government is using the largest bank of our country as a shield to hide its dubious dealings through Electoral Bonds," he said. No less than the Supreme Court of India had struck down Modi government's "black money conversion scheme" of Electoral Bonds, holding it

SBI seeks time until June 30 to share electoral bonds information

SBI noted that due to the strict measures taken to ensure the anonymity of the donors, "decoding" the electoral bonds and matching the donors to the donations made would be a complex process

Highlights of the day: Magnitude 3.2 earthquake hits HP's Lahaul and Spiti

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