Author: Anvita Dwivedi

In a significant development with far-reaching implications for educational equity in India, the Supreme Court has questioned several States and Union Territories over the inadequate implementation of Section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which mandates reservation of 25% seats in private unaided non-minority schools for children belonging to economically weaker and disadvantaged sections. The Court’s intervention reflects growing judicial concern that one of the most transformative social justice provisions in Indian education law risks becoming ineffective due to administrative resistance and regulatory evasion. A Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta,…

In a significant judgment blending statutory interpretation with foundational principles of justice and public policy, the Supreme Court of India has ruled that a person accused of murdering or abetting the murder of another individual cannot claim inheritance over the victim’s property. The Court clarified that the disqualification under Section 25 of the Hindu Succession Act extends not only to intestate succession but also to testamentary succession arising through a Will. The ruling came in Manjula & Ors. v. D.A. Srinivas, decided by a Bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan. The dispute revolved around a civil suit…

A fiercely contested electoral dispute from Karnataka’s Sringeri Assembly constituency has now reached the Supreme Court of India, transforming what began as a recount controversy into a major constitutional and democratic question concerning electoral legitimacy, judicial scrutiny, and the sanctity of postal ballots. Congress leader T.D. Raje Gowda has approached the apex court challenging the Karnataka High Court’s order directing recount and reverification of postal ballots an exercise that ultimately overturned his 2023 electoral victory and resulted in BJP candidate D.N. Jeevaraj being declared elected by a margin of 52 votes. The matter was mentioned before Chief Justice of India…

The Supreme Court of India has sought the response of the Union Government on a petition filed by the Gujarat unit of the Aam Aadmi Party challenging the suspension of its Instagram and Facebook accounts. The matter, though seemingly confined to a dispute over social media access, raises constitutional questions of profound contemporary significance whether political communication in the digital age can be curtailed without transparency, procedural safeguards, or accountability. The petition before the Court reportedly concerns the suspension of the Gujarat AAP unit’s official social media handles by platforms owned by Meta Platforms. The party has alleged that the…

In a legally and politically sensitive development, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the bail granted to Arunachal Pradesh IAS officer Talo Potom in the alleged abetment to suicide case concerning 19-year-old Gomchu Yekar. The order, passed by a Bench comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar, reversed the earlier decision of the Gauhati High Court’s Itanagar Bench which had cancelled the officer’s bail and directed his immediate arrest. The case has drawn nationwide attention not merely because it involves a senior bureaucrat, but because of the disturbing allegations emerging from the suicide notes allegedly left behind…

In a significant ruling with far-reaching implications for criminal trial procedure, the Supreme Court of India has reaffirmed that documents already forming part of the chargesheet and prosecution record may be exhibited by the accused without requiring formal proof of signatures, provided their genuineness is not disputed. The judgment marks an important reaffirmation of the procedural philosophy underlying Section 294 of the Code of Criminal Procedure namely, the elimination of unnecessary technical formalities that delay criminal adjudication. The ruling was delivered by a Bench comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar in R. Ganesh v. State of Tamil…

In a significant development blending corporate succession, family law, and judicial mediation, the Supreme Court of India has referred the escalating dispute surrounding the estate of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur to mediation under the supervision of former Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud. The dispute, reportedly involving assets and trust interests valued at nearly ₹30,000 crore, has drawn national attention not merely because of the financial stakes involved, but also due to the involvement of competing branches of the Kapur family, including business interests, inheritance claims, and the children of actor Karisma Kapoor. The Supreme Court’s decision to prioritise…

In a deeply philosophical and constitutionally significant exchange during the ongoing Sabarimala reference proceedings, the Supreme Court of India questioned the long-term implications of subjecting every religious practice to constitutional scrutiny, asking: “What happens to Indian civilisation if every religious practice is questioned in courts?” The remark, made by Justice B.V. Nagarathna during hearings before a nine-judge Constitution Bench, reflects the Court’s growing concern over the extent to which constitutional courts should intervene in matters of faith, denomination, and religious autonomy. The observation came while the Bench was hearing arguments relating to the Dawoodi Bohra excommunication dispute, which has been…

The constitutional challenge to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 took a sharper political and constitutional turn before the Supreme Court when petitioners argued that the present statutory framework effectively guarantees the appointment of the “Prime Minister’s man” as the Chief Election Commissioner. The submission, made during hearings before a Bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, has reignited debate over the independence of the Election Commission of India and the permissible extent of executive control in appointing constitutional authorities. The challenge centres around Section…

In a significant ruling reaffirming the humane and welfare-oriented spirit of motor accident compensation law, the Supreme Court of India enhanced compensation to ₹56.83 lakh for a 14-year-old boy who suffered 100% permanent disability in a road accident, holding that the compensation awarded by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) and later by the Rajasthan High Court was grossly inadequate considering the lifelong consequences of the injuries. The judgment reflects the Court’s continuing effort to move beyond narrow arithmetic in compensation cases and toward a more realistic understanding of lifelong disability, dependency, and dignity. The case arose from a 2016…