News archive

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended four high court judges to serve as chief justices for the Delhi, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttarakhand high courts, according to a Hindustan Times report.

• Justice P Sam Koshy has been recommended as the chief justice of the Delhi high court.
• Justice Sudhir Singh of the Patna high court has been recommended as the chief justice of the Uttarakhand high court.

The vacancies in Gujarat, Delhi and Telangana arose following the recent elevation of previous chief justices to judges of the Supreme Court.

The Maharashtra government proposed repealing the Maharashtra Gramdan Act, 1964, citing changing socio-economic conditions and administrative difficulties, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

• The proposal affects 21 villages in the state that currently operate under a collective land-management system.
• Under the draft proposal, cooperative gramdan mandals would be dissolved and land ownership restored to original owners or their legal heirs based on revenue records.

Sarvodaya activists opposed the move, arguing it could invite land grabs, while supporters stated collectivism hinders villagers from accessing bank loans and government schemes.

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.

According to Hindustan Times, the Maharashtra traffic police issued revised rules on Monday barring all goods-carrying vehicles from using the Connecting Link on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway starting November 1.

• Vehicles carrying hazardous materials including explosives and inflammable substances are prohibited from using the new alignment.
• Only non-transport light motor vehicles and permitted passenger vehicles like buses are allowed on the route.

Cars will have a maximum speed limit of 100 kmph, while passenger buses are restricted to 80 kmph under the notification issued on October 26.

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.