News archive

The Supreme Court refrained from directing the Election Commission of India to preserve files and internal communications concerning decisions on the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, as reported by Hindustan Times.

• The ECI maintained in its counter-affidavit that all decisions regarding the special intensive revision were taken unanimously.
• The Supreme Court issued notice on a fresh petition filed by Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen challenging aspects of the poll panel's functioning.

The bench tentatively posted the matter for November 17, allowing petitioners time to file their rejoinders to the poll panel's affidavit.

The Supreme Court agreed to examine fresh petitions challenging the law mandating the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

• The bench issued notice to the Centre and other respondents on pleas filed by Bhimrao Borkar and Balakrishnan Sathyabhama Mavoji.
• The top court tagged these new petitions with similar pending pleas and scheduled the next hearing for November 30.

The petitioners argued that the government orders replaced a longstanding practice with a version containing explicit and unconstitutional content.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice on a petition by the Digital News Publishers Association challenging provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, as reported by Hindustan Times. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant emphasized that citizens' privacy rights and media freedoms must be carefully balanced.

• The petition challenges Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act for removing the earlier public-interest disclosure safeguard under the RTI Act.
• The Supreme Court scheduled the next hearing in the matter for November 17.

The association represents 21 legacy news publishers and argues that the framework lacks exemptions for journalistic activities and poses pre-censorship risks.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined to stay the investigation into two journalists accused of making casteist remarks and obstructing Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat, as reported by Hindustan Times. Justice Mini Pushkarna observed that the probe could not be halted without examining the police status report.

• The court issued notice on the petition filed by the journalists seeking the quashing of the First Information Report.
• The bench refused to restrain the police from taking coercive action against male journalist Gajendra Singh.

The petitioners contended that the FIR was a retaliatory measure following an earlier complaint at Parliament Street Police Station. The matter will be heard next on November 16.

The Kerala High Court permitted a couple expecting a baby with skeletal dysplasia to hand over the child to the Child Welfare Committee after birth, as reported by Hindustan Times. Justice Harisankar V Menon observed that medical termination was unnecessary since the couple did not intend to retain the child.

• A court-constituted medical board advised against terminating the over 33-week-long pregnancy.
• The board reported that the foetus suffers from a non-lethal form of skeletal dysplasia.

Skeletal dysplasia is a large group of rare genetic conditions that disrupt bone and cartilage development. The medical board also noted that developmental delay cannot be predicted without genetic testing.

The Indian government approached US authorities seeking the deportation of Manish Chhokar, who left India despite his passport being deposited with the Supreme Court, according to Hindustan Times. The Supreme Court is pursuing contempt proceedings against him in a child custody dispute.

• A bench of justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi recorded a communication confirming the CBI's Interpol unit wrote to the FBI.
• The CBI registered a case against Chhokar in March 2025 after he left for the US in January 2025.

The court adjourned the matter by four weeks to allow the government more time. The contempt proceedings arose from a 2019 settlement where Chhokar allegedly failed to hand over custody of his son.