Important Court Verdicts

Cryptocurrency and it’s regulation in India – Recent SC VerdictPREMIUM 

[GS3] Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life / Banking / Important Court Verdicts / Internet

Reading Time: 9 mins The Supreme Court, on March 2020, had struck down RBI’s controversial circular that prohibited any central bank regulated entities from providing banking services to anyone dealing with virtual or cryptocurrencies. This ruling allows banks to handle cryptocurrency transactions. Though this may threaten the country’s financial system, it does provide an opportunity for the government and the central bank to form regulatory frameworks and laws that, while allowing the use of cryptocurrencies, can ensure preventive measures that can counter private cryptocurrencies.

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Reservation in Promotion for SC/STs – Supreme Court Verdict & its SignificancePREMIUM 

Backward Sections / Important Court Verdicts

Reading Time: 6 mins Updates *

On February 7th, 2020, with regards to Mukesh Kumar Vs the State of Uttarakhand case, the Supreme Court ruled that states are not legally bound to provide reservations to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs. The apex court had stated that individuals do not have the fundamental rights to claim reservations in the promotions. This is based on the provisions of the Indian constitution. This recent judgement is not new. The top court had pointed out the fact that reservations are not fundamental rights in several judgements in the past.

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SC Verdict on Permanent Commission to Women Officers

Important Court Verdicts / Women

Reading Time: 7 mins In an important step towards granting women the right to serve in the military on equal terms with men, the apex court had recently granted women officers the right to “permanent commission” and the right to command. This order brought women officers in 10 streams of the army on a par with their male counterparts. This case was first filed in the Delhi High Court by women officers in 2003 and had received a favourable order in 2010. However, the order was never implemented and was challenged in the Supreme Court by the government. The recent order by the supreme court opens the doors for women to command military units like logistics, signals, etc., thus placing them in the position of leading bodies of 500-600 men in combat support duties. This ruling is hailed as a “great leap” towards equality in the army.

[Updated] Sabarimala Temple Issue – Customs Vs Constitution

DPSP / Fundamental Rights / Important Court Verdicts / Religion / Women

Reading Time: 6 mins Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple issue is about the conflict between women rights and tradition. According to age-old traditions and customs, women from ten to fifty years of age were not permitted into Sabarimala Temple. However, the situation has changed when the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court on September 28, 2018, declared that restricting entry of women of menstruating age was unconstitutional. Thus the SC allowed women, irrespective of their age, to enter Sabarimala temple. 

Ayodhya-Babri Dispute: Timeline, SC Verdict & its Significance

Important Court Verdicts / Medieval India / Minorities / Modern India / Religion / Secularism

Reading Time: 8 mins The Supreme Court had given the much-awaited verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi – Babri Masjid land dispute case. Though this verdict, the Apex court cleared the way for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot a 5-acre of land to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque. It is one of the most important and most anticipated judgements in India’s history. The Constitutional Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi put an end to the more than a century-old dispute that has torn the social fabric of the nation.

SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act: Pros and Cons

Backward Sections / Important Court Verdicts / Important Legislation (Bills & Acts)

Reading Time: 9 mins

The Supreme Court recently criticised the verdict delivered by its two-judge bench in March 2018 that had virtually diluted provisions of arrest under the SC/ST Act and asked whether a judgement could be passed against the spirit of the Constitution.

Indicating that it would make certain orders to “bring-in equality” as per the provisions of law, the top court said people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are subjected to “discrimination” and “untouchability” even after over 70 years of Independence.

Taking a serious view of manual scavenging situation and deaths of SC/ST people engaged in such work, the top court said nowhere in the world people are sent to “gas chambers to die”.

Capital Punishment in India – Should we do away with it?

Capital Punishment / Important Court Verdicts / Judiciary/Justice / Women (Rape/Harassment)

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There is growing support for abolishing capital punishment in India and it needs serious consideration since, on the other side, there has been a nationwide outrage over the series of incidents of sexual assaults of minor girls, like the one in Kathua. The Supreme Court itself admitted on many occasions that there are confusion and contradiction on the application of the death penalty.

This article explains the following in an analytical manner with a mindmap for quick revision:

  1. What is capital punishment?
  2. What is the need for capital punishment?
  3. What are the arguments in favour?
  4. What are the arguments against?
  5. What is the evolution of the death penalty in India?
  6. Why India still retains it?
  7. What are the protections against capital punishment in the constitution?

Lt-Governor (L-G) Vs Puducherry Government – What is the tussle?PREMIUM 

Important Court Verdicts / Union and its territory

Reading Time: 2 mins

The Madras High Court has recently ruled that the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Puducherry should not interfere with the day-to-day administration of the Union Territory when an elected government is in place.

The court argued that the continued interference from the L-G would amount to running a “Parallel government”.

Notably, the Supreme Court has also given a similar verdict on Delhi Government Vs Lieutenant Governor (L-G) in July 2018.

This article explains the following in an analytical manner:

  1. What is the background of the issue?
  2. What is the High Court verdict?
  3. What was the Supreme Court’s verdict in this regard?
  4. Significance of the verdicts.
  5. [Table] Comparison between L-G of Delhi and L-G of Puducherry.

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