Page 7 - Constitution

Structural strength

The basic structure of the Constitution has authority

Just because institutions have power to do something, should they do it?

The real problem is not that govts behave badly. It's that they can behave badly. There are virtually no constitutional restrictions on their conduct

Agitations crucial in coming years to protect people's rights, says Tikait

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday said that agitations and people's participation in them would be important in the coming years for protecting the rights of people, their lands and their farms. He was speaking at a farmers rally organised by the Bahujan Sangharsh Samiti in Nagpur. 'Dalit' is not a caste group but all people living in villages and working in the fields are Dalits, he said. All the people working in the farms are 'Bahujan', he added. The present government in the country does not believe in the Constitution, he alleged. Elected governments were toppled in Maharashtra as well as Madhya Pradesh, he said. Talking about the agitation on Delhi borders against the new farm laws, he said it felt like "the government was a conspirator." Allegations of insulting the Tricolour were levelled against farmers and all these conspiracies were "hatched in Nagpur", he said, without naming any organization. There were also attempts to portray the Sikh community as ...

Defending the constitutional order

In the changed political environment, India needs a process that maintains the independence and credibility of institutions

Distortion of history a danger engulfing the country, says M K Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday termed as a "danger", distortion of history and warned against falling for "imaginary stories" being floated by some as history. In his address at the 81st annual session of the Indian History Congress here, Stalin also stressed on the need for a government to remain secular. The Chief Minister said many wondered if studying history will ensure them a lucrative career but doing so is not just about getting a degree and salary. "We should study history to know ourself. Only those who have studied the past can create history in the present; can predict the future. Such history should be science-based fact. Some persons are talking about imaginary stories as history. One should not get fooled by believing them and they should not be accepted," he said. A knowledgeable society will not accept such theories, Stalin added. "The danger that has engulfed the country today is this distortion of history. The dignity of the Constitution should

'Insurgent' justice

Human rights activist and lawyer K G Kannabiran's memoir, translated into English from Telugu by his daughter, is a book worth reading and re-reading

Where is the confrontation with the judiciary possibly headed?

The SC had declared NJAC Act unconstitutional, arguing that the primacy of the judiciary in judicial appointments was embedded in the 'basic structure' of the Constitution

There was no proposal to reintroduce a modified NJAC, says Centre

The Centre further said that out of the 34 judge strength of the Supreme Court, 27 judges are working in the, which puts the vacancy to 7

SC asks Centre, states to file response on uniform healthcare standard plea

The Supreme Court Friday directed the Centre and the states to file their responses on a plea seeking directions for a uniform standard of healthcare for citizens in line with the Constitution by adopting provisions of the Clinical Establishments Act, 2010. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Vikram Nath granted four weeks to the Union of India and the state governments to file their replies. The top court was hearing a plea filed by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Patients' Rights Campaign and K M Gopakumar which had also sought directions for operationalising all the provisions of the Act, as well as Clinical Establishment Rules, 2012 in order to ensure affordable and quality healthcare. The plea had sought directions for notification and implementation of the conditions for registration of clinical establishments such as observance of minimum standards, display of rates for procedures and services, compliance with the standard treatment protocol, as provided in Sections 11 and 12 of the CEA

Watching developments in other states on UCC, will decide later: K'taka CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said he is gathering information regarding developments in various states and what the Constitution says vis-a-vis the "Uniform Civil Code" (UCC), and any decision on implementing it in the state, will be taken after going through them. He also clarified that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has not spoken to him in this regard. "Our party has been speaking about Uniform Civil Code for thirty years now, there is nothing new in it. Now, in some states committees have been constituted regarding implementing it. I'm gathering information regarding the developments in various states, what the Constitution says," Bommai said in response to a question. Speaking to reporters, he said, "After going through all of them, we will decide. But the Union Home Minister (Amit Shah) or anyone else from the central government has not spoken to me in this regard." The Chief Minister had recently said serious discussions were going on for implementing t

Prez Murmu graces valedictory function of Constitution Day organised by SC

The President of India Droupadi Murmu on Saturday delivered the valedictory address at the Constitution Day celebrations, organised by the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi

Institution thrives with time only when it functions democratically: CJI

He said that the representation of the marginalised communities must be enhanced in the legal profession

Constitution Day: How India's founding document came to make history

Ideas and practices of a variety of world political systems were reshaped and reimagined for the republic

Rahul says only Cong can protect Constitution, attacks Centre on note-ban

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) keeps attacking the Constitution everyday as it does not want to accept that Dalits, tribals and the poor should get rights, and hit out at Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar for "working" for the British. Gandhi, whose Bharat Jodo Yatra entered its 69th day and reached Washim district in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra from Hingoli on Tuesday, said it is only the Congress that can protect the Constitution, give education to tribals and safeguard their land and rights. The Lok Sabha MP from Kerala addressed two rallies during the day and stepped up his attack on the BJP over a range of issues - from the Constitution, to 2016 note-ban, to Goods and Service Tax (GST) to farm loans. The first public meeting, addressed by him in the afternoon, was organised on the occasion of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda's birth anniversary, which is also celebrated as the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas or Tribal Pride Day. T

Three questions on EWS quota: Here's what the Supreme Court judges said

Supreme Court upholds constitutional validity of 10% EWS quota on 'economic basis'

Supreme Court to pronounce verdict on EWS quota today; What we know so far

On January 12, 2019, the government of India amended the Constitution to provide a 10 per cent reservation to the candidates from the general category that belong to the EWS

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promises a new constitution for Turkey

"The shelf life of the constitution of the Sept. 12 drafted after the military coup in 1980 has already expired," Erdogan declared.

Kerala guv writes to CM Vijayan, wants finance minister Balagopal sacked

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, in a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday, informed that he has "ceased to enjoy pleasure" in Finance Minister KN Balagopal

Newsmaker: Constitutional law is new Attorney General Venkataramani's forte

With his appointment as AG, the many constitutional law matters that are pending before the Supreme Court will receive specialised attention

Sri Lanka's Parliament to debate 22nd constitutional amendment next week

Sri Lankan lawmakers will debate next week on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution aimed at empowering Parliament over the executive president. Party leaders agreed to take up the debate on the 22nd Amendment in Parliament on October 6 and 7, Communications Department of Parliament said on Thursday. The decision was taken at the Business Committee meeting held at Parliament Complex on Thursday morning chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. If enacted, the amendment would come to be known as the 21st Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka which was first adopted in 1978. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that the bill seeking the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution can be adopted with a two-thirds majority in the House but some clauses will require a nationwide referendum unless some of the clauses inconsistent with the Constitution are left out of the Bill. The government responded then saying that debatable clauses would be left out for its adoption in ...