Law

Conviction of former BJP MP Dinu Solanki and six others in murder of Right To Information (RTI) activist Amit Jethwa is a victory of Indian justice system. The country has seen 83 murders and 165 assaults on RTI activists since the Act came into force in 2005, says the mapping exercise being done by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). In this scenario, the conviction in Amit Jethwa case holds out hope for many families of activists killed over seeking information

Land acquistion was at the centre stage till two years back due to controversial changes introduced by the NDA government in the legislation. While the proposed amendments are currently on hold, several states have brought about similar changes through Rules under Section 109 of the Act or have enacted their own state-level land acquisition laws to tide over opposition. 

A nine-judge Constitution bench is examining whether privacy is a fundamental right. The bench was formed in response to petitions challenging government orders that made Aadhaar mandatory. The petitions had right to privacy as one of the arguments. While petitioners claim that right to life and liberty inherentily include right to privacy, government believes it's more of a social notion like 'pursuit of happiness' and should not be a legal right. The government also argued that right to privacy can't be homogeneous though certain aspects within privacy can be fundamental rights. 

The premise of Aadhaar is that it’s put to use as a universal proof of identity by public and private entities. So, even when you have surrendered that LPG subsidy and don’t take any benefit from the welfare schemes, you may still be required to get the unique ID. Banks continue to ask for linking the account with Aadhaar numbers, private schools want parents to furnish the UID numbers of their children even though there’s no subsidy to be disbursed and no chance of duplication here. The Union government is also mulling linking mobile numbers with Aadhaar as another measure to curb terrorism. 

Dr Kunal Saha's wife Anuradha died due to medical negligence in 1998. He pursued the case for 15 years through various consumer courts, MCI, high court until Supreme Court passed a historic order three months back. It not only awarded the highest compensation so far in a medical negligence case but also questioned the treatment of doctors, a first in Indian legal history. Here Dr Saha talks about the shortcomings in present Indian law and his plans to help other victims of medical negligence.

Khamba is a small village on the edge of Amreli district in the south east region of Gujarat. Proximity to the coastline and world famous Gir forest in neighbouring Junagarh district underscores the need for environment protection of the region

Savage Garden may sing paeans for life of animals, the truth is they have a tough time putting up with us humans. India is soon going to have a law with better provisions to ensure ethical treatment of animals.  

Dr Manilal Valliyate, the director of veterinary affairs at PETA, shares his thoughts on how the proposed law will make us more humane.

Q. Since a new draft bill has been drafted on the issue of animal welfare, where was the earlier Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act lacking?

The draft is currently under consideration and...

Mining is something that if undertaken, the possibility of any other alternative use of that land is finished. That’s why it is called a terminal industry. We all know about the socio-political issues related to mining. Most of the mines are located in areas which are homeland to tribals and dalits and hence have specific development issues. The problem with emerging countries like India and China is they are not willing to look for alternatives to mining. Their economies are increasingly getting dependent on mining hence binding them to systems that have failed in the west.

When...

The purpose of any law is to solve people’s problems. The Indian Constitution also promotes the concept of judicial redressal at your door step. A law is meant for speedy justice and if it is pro-litigation or promotes further litigation, the purpose is defeated.Sadly, that is what most of our Indian laws do. Even recent enactments like the Right To Information (RTI) Act and the Right to Public Service Act, which is being implemented in several States of India, compel the public to make rounds of the offices, appellate authorities and ultimately, the state or central commissions. The...

The controversy related to black money is turning out to be a major embarrasment for the UPA government. However, while Baba Ramdev raises cudgels against the money stashed in foreign banks, nobody seems to care about the  undeclared wealth which exists right here in Indian territory. According to a World Bank study, in 2006-07 black money in India amounted to Rs 15 lakh crores, almost one-fourth of the country’s GDP.

Even though the incumbent ministers convey helplessness in dealing with this issue, there is no escaping the fact that it’s the lack of willpower both from the side of...