Page 2 - Supreme Court

SC releases draft rules for use of AI in courts, allows use with disclosure

The proposed framework allows AI-assisted legal work and court administration but bars the technology from influencing judicial decisions, bail determinations and sentencing

WFI plea against Vinesh Phogat's selection trials order 'infructuous': SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday said the plea of the Wrestling Federation of India against the Delhi High Court order allowing wrestler Vinesh Phogat to participate in selection trials has become infructuous in view of subsequent developments. A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Aravind Kumar, which refused to go into the observations made by the high court, said this court should not be taken as having reiterated the findings and observations made in the order. The bench said all the issues are left open. Senior advocate DN Goburdhun, appearing for the WFI said that Phogat was allowed to participate in the selection trial but she did not succeed. "She did not succeed but she created havoc over there," the senior counsel told the bench. The bench told him that the issue has now become infructuous. Goburdhun submitted that there were certain observations made by the high court with regard to decisions of the Federation and terming them "malafide" and "deplorable". "All these ...

SC forms high-powered expert panel to re-examine Aravalli definition

The Supreme Court has constituted a high-powered committee to conduct an independent review of the Centre's report on the definition and delineation of the Aravalli hill range and directed the panel to address what it described as "critical ambiguities" in the findings. The committee headed by Kanchan Devi, Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) has been directed to submit a comprehensive report by August 31, 2026. The move comes months after the apex court, on December 29, stayed the implementation of an October 2025 report prepared by a committee chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The court had then emphasised the need for an independent body of domain experts to undertake a fresh scientific and ecological assessment. In its order, the court observed that a "fair, impartial and independent expert opinion" was necessary after consulting all relevant stakeholders to provide definiti

State-run NHPC's OFS booked 1.6x, HSBC MF launches Long-Short S

The Centre's NHPC stake sale drew strong demand, a Mumbai court summoned former Religare chairperson Rashmi Saluja, and HSBC MF launched its first SIF

Supreme Court swears in five new judges, strength increases to 37

V Mohana becomes second woman judge on SC Bench

Supreme Court strength rises to 37 after five new judges sworn in

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Tuesday administered the oath of office to five new judges of the Supreme Court, taking the strength of judges at the top court to 37, the highest ever. The CJI administered the oath of office to Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Arun Palli and V Mohana as apex court judges. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the apex court premises. The strength of judges at the apex court will now be 37, one short of the upgraded sanctioned strength of 38. The Centre on Monday cleared the appointment of Justice Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice Sachdeva, Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Justice Palli, Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court and senior advocate Mohana as top court judges. The government last month promulgated an ordinance amending a law to increase the sanctioned strength of the apex

Supreme Court refuses plea to hold NEET-UG re-test in computer-based mode

The plea arises from the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, originally conducted on May 3, following allegations of a large-scale paper leak

SC refuses to accept plea to conduct NEET-UG retest in CBT mode on June 21

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to accept a plea seeking the conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 re-test on June 21 in computer-based test mode, saying the National Testing Agency is already faced with too many problems. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Aravind Kumar, which posted the plea by RJD MP Sudhakar Singh and others for hearing on July 27, refused to order the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, in computer-based test (CBT) mode instead of the existing pen-and-paper method. On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak. The CBI is currently investigating the matter, and a retest is scheduled for June 21. "There is no question of conducting the re-examination in CBT mode. They (the NTA) are already having too many problems. The examination was cancelled, and now it is being re-conducted. Either we dismiss this petition now or after the ...

Won't allow senior advocates to argue during partial court working days: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday said it would not allow senior advocates to either mention matters for urgent listing or to argue in cases listed on partial court working days. The apex court said it was being done to encourage young lawyers to argue their cases during the partial court working days from today till July 12. The summer vacation in the top court has been rechristened as partial court working days. This year, three to four benches would be holding court each week during this period. "No senior advocates will be allowed in my court," Justice Vikram Nath, who was heading a bench which also comprised Justice P B Varale, said at the outset. When a senior advocate tried to mention a matter, Justice Nath said he would not allow senior lawyers to mention the matter or argue in cases listed before his bench during the partial court working days. Justice Nath said he would only permit young lawyers and advocates-on-record (AoRs) to argue before his bench during this period. Whe

Five new judges appointed to Supreme Court, taking total strength to 37

Five new judges were on Monday appointed to the Supreme Court, which will now have 37 judges, one short of the upgraded sanctioned strength of 38. According to separate notifications issued by the department of justice in the Union law ministry on Monday morning, senior SC advocate Venkita Subramani Mohana, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court, and Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court have been elevated as top court judges. Once they take oath and assume charge, the SC will formally have 37 judges. The government last month promulgated an ordinance amending a law to increase the sanctioned strength of the apex court to 38 from 34, including the Chief Justice of India. While there were already two vacancies, after the sanctioned strength was increased, altogether six posts became

Pocso Act applies if victim of commercial sex trafficking is minor: SC

The Supreme Court has held that cases involving the trafficking of children for Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) can attract charges under the stringent POCSO Act, alongside the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan on Friday issued a slew of directions to mitigate the concerns of sex workers, while clarifying the legal framework for the prosecution of perpetrators and the rehabilitation of victims. It said the consent of an adult victim to the intended exploitation is irrelevant if any of the listed "means," like the use of threat, force, other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, abuse of a position of vulnerability, or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person, are used. "The consent of a child victim of trafficking is irrelevant, regardless of whether or not 'means' have been used... Lack of consent is no

SC sets aside Sebi's ₹447 crore disgorgement order to Reliance Industries

Supreme Court quashes Sebi's ₹447 crore disgorgement order against RIL in the 2007 RPL futures case, but upholds ₹25 crore penalty for regulatory violations

SC sets 3-month deadline for high courts to deliver reserved judgments

Supreme Court directs High Courts to deliver reserved judgments within three months and prioritise swift decisions in bail and liberty-related cases

NEET-UG to be conducted in CBT mode from 2027: NTA to Supreme Court

The National Testing Agency on Friday told the Supreme Court that it is all set to conduct NEET-UG in the computer-based test (CBT) mode from next year instead of the pen and paper mode after consulting the Centre. The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), made the statement before the apex court, which is hearing a batch of petitions related to the sensational paper "leak" this year that led to the cancellation of the May 3 exam. In an affidavit filed before a bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, the NTA said a high-level committee of experts (HLCE) has recommended transition of NEET-UG to the CBT mode. It said that among the major NTA examinations, only NEET (UG) 2026 was conducted in the pen and paper (PPT) mode, primarily according to the scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Medical Commission. It said all other major NTA examinations are already conducted in the C

SC directs HCs to pronounce judgement within 3 months of reserving order

Observing that delay causes irreparable loss to litigants, the Supreme Court on Friday directed high courts across the country to pronounce judgements within three months from the date of reserving order. Underlining that faster decisions are required in cases of personal liberty, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Baghchi said that orders in bail applications should be pronounced the same day, and if they are reserved, they must be pronounced and uploaded the next day. Issuing a slew of directions, the top court said that order of bail or sentence suspension should be communicated to the jail authorities as soon as it is pronounced and the undertrial/convict should be released preferably the same day or at most the next day.

Trauma care integral part of right to life, says SC, issues directions

Observing that right to trauma care of citizens is an integral part of right to life, the Supreme Court has stressed on the need to have systemic intervention, a uniform framework for trauma care, and proper good samaritan laws. The apex court passed a slew of interim directions, including asking all the states and Union territories to complete full technical and operational integration of all emergency or ambulance helplines into Helpline 112 within three months and undertake concurrent mass-media publicity of this helpline and report compliance. A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and A S Chandurkar also directed the states and UTs to establish functional (physical and digital) good samaritan grievance redressal systems with designated nodal authorities at state and district level within three months, and furnish periodic compliance reports by organising monthly meetings and uploading the minutes on the concerned portals. The bench passed the order on Tuesday on a plea filed by ...

Supreme Court upholds 28% retrospective tax on online gaming firms

Top court also upholds states' right to ban online betting, gambling

Supreme Court seeks Centre, NCERT reply on CBSE's 3-language rule plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine a plea challenging a CBSE policy mandating the study of three languages, including two native Indian languages, for Class 9 students beginning July 1. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi issued notices to the Centre, the CBSE and the NCERT and sought comprehensive replies within two weeks. The top court asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to submit a report on the logistical preparedness of the CBSE to implement the decision and posted the matter for hearing in the second week of July. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the petitioner Yashica Bhandari Jain and others, submitted that a nationwide circular has been issued by the CBSE, which states that the students have to study three languages from the next academic year. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for some other petitioners, said the issue involved constitutional issues of federalism and ...

EC empowered to conduct limited scrutiny of citizenship during SIR: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that the Election Commission is empowered to conduct a limited scrutiny of citizenship status while preparing and revising electoral rolls. The top court, however, clarified that such scrutiny cannot amount to a final adjudication of citizenship, which remains the exclusive domain of central government authorities under the Citizenship Act. The observations on the effect of citizenship were made by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant in the significant verdict upholding the Election Commission's (EC's) power to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls. The bench held that the EC has the authority to examine citizenship status only for the limited purpose of determining eligibility for the electoral rolls. "In view of the statutory requirement under Section 16 of the RP (Representation of the People) Act, the Commission, in the course of preparing or revising electoral rolls, is undoubtedly empowered to examine ...

SC junks ₹202 crore penalty on Amazon by CCI in Future Coupons case

The Supreme Court set aside the Competition Commission of India's penalty on Amazon over its Future Coupons investment and directed refund of the recovered amount within eight weeks