News archive

The Bombay High Court urged celebrities to volunteer for noise pollution awareness campaigns after state authorities reported payment demands, according to Hindustan Times.

• The court expressed concern over firecrackers being burst until 2am in Mumbai's slum areas.
• Authorities were directed to step up awareness through schools, public announcements, and transport networks.

The observations came during suo motu proceedings regarding noise pollution caused by religious processions across Maharashtra.

The Maharashtra traffic police issued revised rules barring all goods-carrying vehicles from using the Missing Link on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway from November 1, reported Hindustan Times.

• Vehicles carrying hazardous materials are also prohibited from using the new alignment.
• Cars are permitted a maximum speed limit of 100 kmph, while passenger buses are restricted to 80 kmph.

The regulations were adopted to improve traffic safety inside the tunnels and prevent congestion and accidents.

The Election Commission of India informed the Supreme Court that all decisions relating to the special intensive revision of electoral rolls were taken unanimously, according to Hindustan Times.

• The poll panel denied amending statutory Form 6, stating additional declarations were separate documents.
• The joint counter-affidavit rejected allegations that the chief election commissioner acted unilaterally.

The response was filed through deputy election commissioner Bhanu Prakash Yeturu in a batch of petitions challenging the poll panel's functioning.

The Supreme Court sought the response of the Election Commission of India on a petition challenging the special intensive revision exercise in Maharashtra, reported Hindustan Times.

• The petitioner stated that over 40% of voters in Mumbai and Pune faced deletion due to redevelopment relocations.
• The bench posted the matter for hearing on November 5 before the final state electoral roll publication.

The final state electoral roll pursuant to receipt of claims and objections is scheduled for publication on November 6.

The Supreme Court sought responses from the Union and Chhattisgarh governments in a petition challenging the constitutional validity of Chhattisgarh's anti-conversion law, according to Hindustan Times. The bench directed that the matter be heard along with pending challenges against similar laws passed in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

• The Chhattisgarh assembly passed the law in March to prevent religious conversions carried out through force, inducement, fraud, or misrepresentation, providing for life imprisonment in mass conversion cases.
• Isai Adivasi Mahasabha, representing tribal Christians, moved the court, arguing that the legislation violates personal autonomy and fundamental religious freedom.

The petitioner questioned section 2(l)(a) of the Chhattisgarh law, which treats a promise of a better lifestyle as allurement, and noted that similar matters are pending before the Chhattisgarh High Court.

The Delhi High Court has held that immigration officers can detain individuals for further questioning and security checks even if they hold a valid visa, according to Hindustan Times.

• The court dismissed a petition filed by an Indian citizen holding a valid German Business visa who challenged repeated scrutiny at Delhi airport.
• Government counsel stated the German Embassy had issued an alert valid until October 31, 2027, after his previous visa was annulled.

The court noted that the petitioner was allowed to travel each time after examination and the authorities were not exercising powers arbitrarily.

The Hindustan Times reports that the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission has made the Teacher Eligibility Test mandatory for physical education candidates in a new recruitment notification.

• The recruitment advertisement covers 17,735 trained graduate teacher posts across government-aided secondary schools.
• Aspirants state they have never been allowed to appear for the test since July 2011.

The recruitment includes 849 physical education teacher posts, split into 784 for male candidates and 65 for female candidates.