Author: Rishika Gupta

In a recent landmark judgement, the Bombay High Court has made it clear that the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act is not meant to penalize minors in consensual romantic relationships. This decision comes as a major relief to young couples who were living in fear of being punished for being in sexual relationships. Background The case in question, Imran Iqbal Shaikh v. State of Maharashtra, involved a 23-year-old man who was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl who he claimed was his girlfriend. The prosecution argued that the girl was a minor, and therefore, the man…

In recent years, press freedom in India has been under attack, and the latest report by the World Press Freedom Index has confirmed this trend. The report reveals that India’s press freedom rank has slipped to an abysmal 161 out of 180 countries. This marks a decline from the previous year’s ranking of 142 and is the worst position India has held since the inception of the index in 2002. The Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression  The right to freedom of speech and expression is an essential aspect of democracy. It is enshrined in Article 19 of the…

The White House Eid celebration is an annual event hosted by the President of the United States to mark the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and prayer for Muslims. The event is an opportunity for Muslim leaders and activists to meet with the President and other government officials, and to celebrate their faith and culture. This year’s celebration was held on May 1st, 2024, and was attended by a number of Muslim leaders and activists from around the country. However, one notable absence from the celebration was Mohamed Khairullah, Mayor of a New Jersey town. Khairullah’s Invitation…

The Supreme Court of India recently passed a landmark judgment allowing the dissolution of marriage on the grounds of ‘Irretrievable Breakdown of Marriage’. The judgment was delivered by a five-judge bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, A.S. Oka, Vikram Nath, and J.K. Maheshwari on the Shilpa Sailesh v. Varun Sreenivasan. Background Previously, in India, the only way to dissolve a marriage was by proving one of the grounds mentioned under Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. These grounds included adultery, cruelty, desertion, conversion to another religion, venereal disease, and unsoundness of mind. However, proving these grounds…

“The UN system is anachronistic in its mindset and it needs to be reformed in order to reflect the contemporary realities of the world.”- Ruchira Kamboj India, one of the largest contributors to the United Nations (UN) system, has expressed its disappointment with the organization’s slow progress in implementing much-needed reforms. In a scathing criticism, India labelled the UN system “anachronistic” and accused it of having an outdated mindset. In a recent UNSC open debate convened by Russia, the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations- Ruchira Kamboj expressed dissent toward the ineffectiveness of the UN System. She referred…

The Supreme Court, in a recent judgment dated 26th April 2024, set aside the 2012 order of the Gujarat High Court that held that Ayurveda doctors working in government hospitals must be treated at par with allopathy doctors and entitled to equal pay. The bench comprising of Justice V. Ramasubramanian and Justice Pankaj Mithal stated “While recognizing the importance of Ayurveda doctors and the need to promote alternative/indigenous systems of medicine, we cannot be oblivious of the fact that both categories of doctors are certainly not performing equal work to be entitled to equal pay.” The Case: State of Gujarat…

The Quad Summit 2024 is here to reshape world politics and international relations for years to come

The Supreme Court of India recently amended the rules for the conviction of Husbands for dowry death in the case of Charanjit Singh v. State of Uttarakhand. The bench comprising of Justice AS Oka and Justice Rajesh Bindal held that the mere unnatural death of a wife in the matrimonial home within seven years of marriage is not sufficient to convict the husband for dowry death. The decision came in light of several cases where husbands were being wrongfully accused and convicted of dowry death. The court held that there must be evidence to prove that the wife was subjected…

India celebrates the golden jubilee of the Landmark Judgement- Kesavananda Bharati v State of Kerala. 50 years of the Basic Structure Doctrine being implemented into the judicial practice of India.

In a recent ruling in the case of Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India Ltd. & Ors. Etc vs Vijay D. Kasbe & Ors. Etc the Supreme Court of India, with a bench comprising of bench comprising of Justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal has held that government servants cannot claim double overtime allowance benefits under the Factories Act, outside the scope of their service rules. This decision has significant implications for government employees, who may no longer receive overtime pay. Different Categories of Employment in India The judgement reiterates the different categories of employment in India, which have…