The Supreme Court of India, by a majority opinion, has struck down the 99th Constitution Amendment, which provided for the establishment of the National Judicial Commission to appoint judges of the High Court and the Supreme Court. Having read the opinion of the five hon'ble judges, a few issues arise in my mind.The key rationale behind the majority opinion appears to be that independence of the judiciary is an essential ingredient of the basic structure of the Constitution. This is unquestionably a correct proposition. Having stated this, the majority transgresses into an erroneous logic. It argues that the presence of a law minister in the commission and the appointment of two eminent persons in the commission by a group, which will, besides the Chief Justice of India, comprise the prime minister and the leader of the Opposition, will constitute political involvement in judicial appointments. Judges appointed on this basis may feel gratified to politicians. Political persons would be

The NJAC verdict: An alternative view

Business Standard

I beg to move that the Payment and Settlement System (Amendment) Bill, 2014 be taken into consideration.I have gone through the provisions of the Amendment and I have a written note which is ready and I could read out to explain what the amendment is about.Sir, the payment and settlement system in commercial transactions is the backbone of all financial transactions. I issue a cheque in favour of somebody. It goes through a clearing house from my banker to the recipient bankers and, therefore, there is a payment and settlement system involved in this. Prior to 2007, this was all being managed through an executive notification and authorities created under that.In 2007, the government at that time, and rightly so, enacted the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. I would just read from the preamble of that Act one sentence. It will be clear as to what the purpose of that Act was. "An Act to provide for regulation and supervision of payment systems in India and to designate the Reser

'The backbone of all financial transactions'

There is no contradiction in an economy that if something encourages industrial activity in the country, it is bound to be anti-poor

'Does this Budget help the poor? It does'

The Indian economy today is passing through a difficult phase. There is a sense of anxiety about the state of the economy if not restlessness

'The current government has lost its will to rule'

The fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of India are an integral part of the basic constitutional structure

Arun Jaitley: Opinion polls are also a part of free speech

We live in an age of both cynicism and hope. When we see the depressing environment around us, public opinion tends to become cynical. However, India has shown tremendous resilience. Hope, therefore, emerges from the sense of resilience to overtake cynicism.Sixty per cent of our population depends on agriculture for livelihood. Agriculture contributes only 16 per cent to the GDP [gross domestic product]. The share of services in the GDP is touching almost 60 per cent. Services in India have grown because they are not entirely dependent on either government policy or the lack of infrastructure. It is an important challenge for us that we tackle the problem of under-employment in agriculture by transferring a very large number of people from agriculture to the manufacturing sector or the services sector.Quality of politicsIn a parliamentary democracy, politics impacts the life of the nation. Politics formulates the policy. Policy determines the direct

'Surnames, castes must be replaced by proven ability'

In Kokrajhar, the Bodo population is significant. Adjacent to the region is Dhubri. The 2001 Census shows here, almost 71 per cent of the population comprises not the ethnic minority but migrants. When the results of the 2011 Census are declared, this figure is likely to cross 80 per cent. Where do you have 80 per cent illegal immigrants adjacent to the Bangladesh border? Right next to the chicken's neck. Therefore, that is the kind of security threat it constitutes to India, besides being an expansion of the territory.

'Throw out illegal immigrants by process of law'

The finance minister in his Budget speech... has spoken in terms of providing tax certainty. He says this in the context of advance pricing agreements. Now, tax certainty is essential for any taxation planning. When investors come in, they must know how much tax they are going to pay if they earn money.

'How will Centre compensate the states on taxes?'

Experts say an administrative warning is a less severe action than a fine. However, it serves as a formal notice of non-compliance

HDFC Bank, HDFC

New Delhi [India], December 12: The results for CLAT 2025, announced on December 7, 2024, have once again proven why Law Prep Tutorial is India's most trusted name in CLAT coaching. With an incredible 1310 National Law University (NLU) selections, including 38 students within AIR 100 and 5 in the Top 10 ranks, the institute has set a new benchmark in CLAT preparation.

CLAT 2025: Law Prep Tutorial Breaks Records With Highest NLU Selections and Top AIRs

Chandigarh [India], December 12: Nature Conservancy India Solutions (NCIS) conducted a two-day workshop in Chandigarh on 'Transitioning Towards Regenerative Foodscapes in Northwest India' on December 4th and 5th, as part of its PRANA (Promoting Regenerative and No-Burn Agriculture) project. Chief Guest Ajit Balaji Joshi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Government of Punjab, accompanied by Professor Adarsh Pal Vig, Chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Shoikat Roy, Member Punjab Development Commission and the Managing Director of Nature Conservancy India Solutions, Dr. Anjali Acharya kicked off the two day event, which saw over eighty agriculture experts across policy, science and practice.

Building Regenerative Foodscapes in Northwest India Outlines Key Strategies for Punjab\'s Agrarian Ecosystem in a workshop by The Nature Conservancy

Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], December 12: At The Art of Living International Ashram in Bengaluru, a transformative initiative is redefining how humanity addresses wastewater treatment. Inspired by the vision of world renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the JalShudhi plant exemplifies his philosophy of harmonising with nature to create sustainable solutions. This advanced, nature-based system demonstrates the power of ecological engineering, blending wisdom and innovation to treat a staggering 4,50,000 litres of wastewater daily. By integrating modern technology with natural processes, JalShudhi proves that sustainable practices not only protect the environment but also pave the way for revolutionary outcomes.

The Art of Living Pioneers Revolutionary Wastewater Treatment with Nature

Sales in the respiratory market reached Rs 1,638 crore in November 2024, up from Rs 1,522 crore recorded in October 2024, amid a surge in pollution-related illnesses last month

medicine, Drugs

Sitharaman said that intergenerational debt is mounting on countries, and it is important for the government and industry to work together to manage debt at the national and sub-national levels

Nirmala Sitharaman, Nirmala

News updates: Catch all the latest news updates from around the world here

inflation, retail inflation, food insecurity

The new system will introduce dedicated PF withdrawal cards, functioning like regular bank ATM cards

ATM, Money, Transaction

Markets Live: Indian markets are likely to be driven by the higher close on the Wall Street, after largely in-line retail inflation data there cemented hopes of a rate cut by the US Fed next week

Stock market

Mid, SmallCap stocks to buy: Analysts suggest investors buy only those stocks of those companies where there is earnings visibility for at least a few quarters

Market, BSE, NSE, NIfty, Stock Market, investment

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is on an official visit to Russia, where he will be the chief guest for the commissioning of the Indian Navy's INS Tushil stealth frigate on Monday

INS Teg, the fourth Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy, at sea. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (Author: Indian Navy)

INS Teg, Talwar-class frigate, Indian Navy

Lok Sabha proceedings were on Monday adjourned for the day after the opposition's protests over allegations of George Soros-Congress link and Adani issue led to repeated disruptions.
When the House met at 11 am after the weekend, the opposition members were on their feet, trying to raise their issues. A visibly agitated Speaker Om Birla asked the MPs to go back to their seats and allow the House to function.
"Question Hour is significant. Allow the House to function properly. But you don't want to allow the House to run. The country wants the House to run. You are disrupting the proceedings of the House," he told the protesting members and adjourned the House till 12 noon.
The noisy protests again forced an adjournment till 2 pm and then till 3 pm, before the proceedings were wrapped for the day.
As soon as the House re-convened at noon, Congress members trooped into the well of the Lok Sabha raising slogans against the government. They were soon joined by Samajwadi Party ...

Lok Sabha

NATO member Turkey hosts some 3 million Syrian migrants and refugees, making it the biggest host of Syrians who have fled the civil war. It also controls swathes of land in northern Syria after

People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

The SDF had been holding the town in recent days amid intense fighting with the Syrian National Army (SNA) and other Turkey-backed groups

Syria, Syrian Rebels

The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDEX) is scheduled to launch by the year-end. It will be India's first mission showcasing autonomous docking technology in space

S Somanath, Somanath, ISRO Chairman

Highlighting the historical presence of Hindus in Bangladesh, stating, "We are vanished from Afghanistan. We are vanished from Pakistan. This is the high time. If we are not saved now, we will be

Protest, Delhi Protest, Bangladesh Protest, Hindu Protest

Moreover, 70 per cent of India's public chargers are concentrated in metropolitan hubs, leaving rural and semi-urban areas woefully underserved

electric vehicle

Despite the growth slowdown, a rate cut-cycle is unlikely to start anytime soon

Policy

In the absence of meaningful private investment and job creation, India is slipping back into its pre-Covid-19 rut, and its economic czars are once again publicly refusing to acknowledge the slowdown

Gold

The suicide of a Bengaluru techie brings intense scrutiny on India's family courts, raising questions about their ability to protect vulnerable individuals in disputes

Arun Jaitley

Arun Jaitley

Arun Jaitley

The NJAC verdict: An alternative view

'The backbone of all financial transactions'

'Does this Budget help the poor? It does'

'The current government has lost its will to rule'

Arun Jaitley: Opinion polls are also a part of free speech

'Surnames, castes must be replaced by proven ability'

'Throw out illegal immigrants by process of law'

'How will Centre compensate the states on taxes?'

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HDFC Bank discloses Sebi warning letter over regulatory non-compliance

CLAT 2025: Law Prep Tutorial Breaks Records With Highest NLU Selections and Top AIRs

Building Regenerative Foodscapes in Northwest India Outlines Key Strategies for Punjab's Agrarian Ecosystem in a workshop by The Nature Conservancy

The Art of Living Pioneers Revolutionary Wastewater Treatment with Nature

Respiratory drug sales surge as pollution, monsoon drive higher demand

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