GK/Current Affairs for Judiciary (26th July- 1 August, 2020)

  • SC panel to decide on physical hearings after two weeks

    • A Supreme Court Committee has decided to wait for two weeks before resuming the physical hearings in the court.
    • It has been hearing cases through video conferencing since the lockdown.
    • The Committee comprised of seven judges, headed by Justice NV Ramana.
  • Speaker withdraws plea in SC against initial order of HC

    • The Supreme Court allowed Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi to withdraw his petition challenging the Rajasthan High Court order of July21.
    • The High Court had extended the time given by the Speaker to 19 Congress rebel MLAs until July 24.
    • Time was extended seeking response of the rebel MLAs to the disqualification notices the Speaker had served.
  • SC adjourns hearing on pleas against quota law, state keeps hiring on hold

    • The Supreme Court adjourned a hearing on petitions challenging the Maharashtra law of reservation.
    • The law provided reservation to Marathas in jobs and admissions.
    • The hearing was adjourned to September 1, 2020.
    • The adjournment took place with the state undertaking not to make any fresh recruitment still September 15, 2020.
    • The SC bench was hearing petitions challenging The Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018.
    • The petitions have challenged the Bombay High Court order of June 2019, which had upheld the law.
    • It had also held that 16 per cent reservation was not justifiable.
    • It added that the quota should not exceed 12% in employment and 13% in admissions to government-run educational institutes.
  • NDRF, PM CARES: SC reserves order as Centre says both funds can exist

    • A petition had sought a transfer of money received in the PM CARES Fund to the National Disaster Response Fund.
    • The Supreme Court reserved its order on the petition.
    • The petitioner alleged that PM CARES Fund was created to circumvent the National Disaster Management Act.
  • Mauritius PM & Modi to unveil SC building in Port Louis

    • Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth inaugurated his country’s new Supreme Court building in Port Louis.
    • Prime Minister Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the building via video conference.
    • The building is the first India assisted infrastructure project within Port Louis, the island-nation’s capital.
    • It is one of the five projects being implemented under the ‘Special Economic Package’ of US $353 million.
    • The Package was extended by the Indian government to Mauritius in 2016.
  • SC rejects pleas for former DGP’s removal from probe commission

    • The Supreme Court rejected petitions seeking removal of former UP DGP K.L. Gupta from the three-member commission.
    • The commission was set up to inquire into the killing of gangster Vikas Dubey in a police encounter on grounds of bias.
  • Malaysia ex-PM Najib given 12-year jail term in graft case

    • Malaysia’s former leader, Najib Razak, was found guilty of corruption.
    • He was sentenced to 12 years in jail in the first trial over a multi-billion dollars scandal.
    • The High Court sentenced Najib to 12 years and a fine of 210 million ringgit ($49million) on a charge of abuse of power.
    • Ringgit: 1 Malaysian Ringgit = 17.67 Indian Rupee.
  • SC dismisses Soz wife’s plea as J&K says no detention, he says: not let out today too

    • The Supreme Court disposed of a plea by the wife of Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader Saifuddin Soz.
    • The plea claimed that he had been illegally detained, with the government denying the claim.
  • Smog tower project: SC warns IIT-Bombay of contempt

    • The Supreme Court has warned IIT-Bombay of contempt action against it.
    • The warning came after the institution backed out of the proposed smog tower pilot project in New Delhi.
    • The court’s reference was to its January 13 direction to setup smog towers in the capital to combat increasing air pollution.
  • Jaypee Infra minority shareholders approach NCLAT, seek modification of NBCC proposal

    • The corporate insolvency resolution process of Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL) is likely to be further delayed.
    • A group of 30 minority shareholders of the company have moved the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
    • The minority shareholders have challenged the approval of the resolution plan of NBCC India.
    • They have alleged that the interests of the minority shareholders had been completely ignored.
    • Even though JIL had enough assets which could be liquidated to protect the investors’ interests.
    • The minority shareholders have asked the NCLAT to set aside the NCLT’s decision approving NBCC’s resolution plan.
    • In alternative, they have asked to modify the plan to the extent that the minority shareholders are allowed to exit the company by selling their shares at a fair market value.
  • DU prof Hany Babu sent to seven-day NIA custody

    • Delhi University associate professor Hany Babu MT is sent to the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for seven days.
    • The order was given by a special court in Mumbai.
    • He was sent to the NIA’s custody a day after he was arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad case.
    • The NIA claimed that Babu was a “supporter of Naxal activities and Naxalite movements”.
  • ‘Intrusion…gross judicial discipline’: Speaker moves SC against HC order

    • Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi moved the Supreme Court challenging the state High Court’s July 24 order.
    • The HC order had asked him to maintain “status quo” on the question of disqualification of 19 rebel Congress MLAs.
    • The Speaker said that “the High Court acted in gross judicial indiscipline”.
    • He stated that the order was a “direct intrusion” into the Speaker’s domain.
  • Centre to SC: IIT-B to sign MoU for smog towers

    • The Centre informed the Supreme Court that IIT Bombay will be signing an MoU for setting up smog towers in New Delhi.
    • The MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) will be signed with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and other stakeholders.
  • Sushant father, Bihar govt move SC on Rhea plea; she says falsely implicated

    • Sushant Singh Rajput’s father K.K. Singh has accused Rhea Chakraborty of theft, cheating and abetment to suicide, among others.
    • He lodged an FIR against her in Patna.
    • Rhea had moved the Supreme Court and sought a stay on investigations in Patna.
    • She approached the SC a day after Bihar Police team met Mumbai Police to gather information on the actor’s death case following the FIR.
    • She also petitioned the court to transfer the probe to Mumbai.
  • In SC, UGC firm on direction to conduct final exams by Sept

    • The University Grants Commission (UGC) stood by its direction to universities and institutions to conduct final-year exams by September end.
    • It said that the “Revised Guidelines” of July 6, 2020 offer “sufficient flexibility” and are intended “to protect the academic future of students”.