TOP NEWS

The Supreme Court Collegium Thursday effected a major reshuffle, recommending the transfer of 23 High Court judges — including four each from the High Courts of Punjab and Haryana, Allahabad, Gujarat and Telangana.

As per the resolutions put out by the top court, the collegium led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud recommended the following transfers from the Punjab and Haryana High Court — Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan to Allahabad, Justice Avneesh Jhingan to Gujarat, Justice Raj Mohan Singh to Madhya Pradesh and Justice Arun Monga to Rajasthan.

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statement on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha against the NDA government and said "You are not India, for India is not corrupt."

"You are not India because you define corruption and dynastic politics, retorts. India believes in merit not in dynasty and today of all the days people like you need to remember what was told to the British - Quit India. Corruption Quit India, Dynasty Quit India. Merit now finds place in India," the BJP leader said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh on Wednesday approached the Gujarat High Court for a stay on the criminal defamation proceedings against them till the disposal of their revision plea in a sessions court.

The matter is likely to come up for hearing on August 11.

A metropolitan court earlier summoned the two leaders on August 11 in the defamation case filed by the Gujarat University over their "sarcastic" and "derogatory" statement in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 3.15 pm on Wednesday amid protest by opposition parties over the Manipur issue. The House was adjourned till 3.15 pm during a discussion on the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to add two synonyms for the Mahar community in Chhattisgarh to the state's Scheduled Caste list.

The House adjourned twice successively -- first till 2.45 pm and then till 3.15 pm -- after it met at 2 pm after a brief adjournment as the opposition continued with its protest.

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the ASI to conduct a scientific survey at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, refusing the Muslim side’s demand to keep the report of that survey in a sealed cover. The SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, said: “Having regard to nature and ambit of the court-appointed commissioner and safeguards placed by the HC, we’re unable to interfere with the order.”

Keeping in mind concerns raised by the Muslim side on impact to the structure of the 17th-century mosque, the top court said non-invasive techniques will be used during the survey. The ASI had put the survey exercise on hold on July 24 as the Allahabad High Court was hearing a petition against it. It resumed the survey in the morning after a go-ahead from the HC on Tuesday (August 3).