Amid ongoing political developments in Karnataka and increasing speculation surrounding a possible resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot departed from Bengaluru to Mumbai late Wednesday night. With the Governor currently away from Bengaluru, uncertainty has emerged whether the Chief Minister can formally tender his resignation without meeting him personally. According to Chief Minister’s Office sources quoted by CNN-News18, Siddaramaiah is expected to visit Raj Bhavan between 2:30 pm and 3 pm to submit his resignation. As Governor Gehlot is not in Bengaluru, the resignation letter is likely to be handed over to the Governor’s secretary.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-cm-vijay-holds-25-minute-talks-with-pm-modi-during-first-official-delhi-visit-know-the-issues-he-raised-1779888896650">Tamil Nadu CM Vijay holds 25-minute talks with PM Modi during first official Delhi visit. Know the issues he raised</a><h3>Can CM resign in the governor’s absence?</h3>Under the constitution, a Chief Minister can submit his or her resignation even if the Governor is physically absent, and the resignation addressed to the Governor may be conveyed through official procedures. Traditionally, Chief Ministers personally hand over their resignation directly to the governor during a formal meeting at the Raj Bhavan. After accepting the resignation, the Governor initiates the next constitutional steps, such as appointing a caretaker government or inviting another leader to form the government. Article 164(1) of the Indian Constitution says, “The Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister, and the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor." This shows that the Governor plays a significant role in the appointment and continuation of the state government. While a CM can always convey resignation through official mode, it will only be quite effective officially after the Governor accepts it and starts the next constitutional process.

Chief Ministers personally hand over their resignation directly to the governor during a formal meeting at the Raj Bhavan. After accepting the resignation, the Governor appoints a caretaker government or invites another leader to form the government.

Amid ongoing political developments in Karnataka and increasing speculation surrounding a possible resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot departed from Bengaluru to Mumbai late Wednesday night. With the Governor currently away from Bengaluru, uncertainty has emerged whether the Chief Minister can formally tender his resignation without meeting him personally. According to Chief Minister’s Office sources quoted by CNN-News18, Siddaramaiah is expected to visit Raj Bhavan between 2:30 pm and 3 pm to submit his resignation. As Governor Gehlot is not in Bengaluru, the resignation letter is likely to be handed over to the Governor’s secretary. Also read: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay holds 25-minute talks with PM Modi during first official Delhi visit. Know the issues he raised Can CM resign in the governor’s absence? Under the constitution, a Chief Minister can submit his or her resignation even if the Governor is physically absent, and the resignation addressed to the Governor may be conveyed through official procedures. Traditionally, Chief Ministers personally hand over their resignation directly to the governor during a formal meeting at the Raj Bhavan. After accepting the resignation, the Governor initiates the next constitutional steps, such as appointing a caretaker government or inviting another leader to form the government. Article 164(1) of the Indian Constitution says, “The Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister, and the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor." This shows that the Governor plays a significant role in the appointment and continuation of the state government. While a CM can always convey resignation through official mode, it will only be quite effective officially after the Governor accepts it and starts the next constitutional process.

Chief Ministers personally hand over their resignation directly to the governor during a formal meeting at the Raj Bhavan. After accepting the resignation, the Governor appoints a caretaker government or invites another leader to form the government.

Can Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah resign in governor's absence? What constitution says

The Indian Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar raised questions on the Supreme Court's direction for setting a timeline for the president to take action on any bill. He called Article 142 of the Indian Constitution a "nuclear missile" in the hands of the judiciary.&nbsp;
"Article 142 has become a nuclear missile against Democratic forces available to the judiciary 24x7," Dhankar said on the social media platform X on Thursday (April 17).&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-vp-dhankar-cambodian-king-discuss-capacity-building-defence-parliamentary-cooperation-598606">India: VP Dhankar, Cambodian king discuss defence, parliamentary cooperation</a>
"We cannot have a situation where you direct the President of India, and on what basis?" he asked.
"So, we have judges who will legislate, who will perform executive functions, who will act as super Parliament and absolutely have no accountability because the law of the land does not apply to them," Dhankhar said during his speech to the&nbsp; Rajya Sabha.
"The only right you have under the Constitution is to interpret the Constitution under Article 145(3). There, it has to be five judges when Article 145(3) was there, the number of judges in the Supreme Court was eight, 5 out of 8, now 5 out of 30 odd more," the VP wrote in his X post.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sushil-kumar-olympic-medalist-and-main-accused-in-sagar-dhankar-murder-case-granted-bail-569335">Sushil Kumar, Olympic medalist and main accused in Sagar Dhankar murder case, granted bail</a>
"What is happening in the country? We have to be extremely sensitive. It is not a question of someone filing a review or not. We never bargained for democracy on this day. President being called upon to decide in a time-bound manner, and if not, it becomes law," Dhankhar said.&nbsp;
<h2>What is Article 142?&nbsp;</h2>
Article 142 of the Indian Constitution grants immense power to the apex court to ensure complete justice in any case before it.&nbsp;
"The Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it..." the article narrates.&nbsp;
Extraordinary power
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-vice-president-elections-2022-a-look-at-ndas-candidate-jagdeep-dhankar-499381">India Vice-President elections 2022 | A look at NDA's candidate Jagdeep&Acirc;&nbsp;Dhankar</a>
Article 142 of the Indian Constitution allows the SC to take action that may not be strictly within the bounds of the existing law as long as it ensures complete justice in the case.&nbsp;
Binding nature
Any order that gets passed under Article 142 is enforceable throughout India and is binding on all courts and authorities.
<h2>'Is the delay explainable?'</h2>
Dhankar also talked about the incident of cash which was allegedly found in the residence of a sitting Delhi high court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma. &nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mamata-has-taken-unconstitutional-route-by-seeking-outside-intervention-on-caa-wb-guv-269261">Mamata has taken unconstitutional route by seeking outside intervention on CAA: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar</a>
"An event happened on the night of 14th and 15th of March in New Delhi, at the residence of a judge. For seven days, no one knew about it. We have to ask questions to ourselves. Is the delay explainable? Condonable? Does it not raise certain fundamental questions? In any ordinary situation, and ordinary situations define the rule of law &mdash; things would have been different,&rdquo; the VP said.&nbsp;

India News | Dhankar also talked about the incident of cash which was allegedly found in the residence of a sitting Delhi high court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma.

The Indian Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar raised questions on the Supreme Court's direction for setting a timeline for the president to take action on any bill. He called Article 142 of the Indian Constitution a "nuclear missile" in the hands of the judiciary. "Article 142 has become a nuclear missile against Democratic forces available to the judiciary 24x7," Dhankar said on the social media platform X on Thursday (April 17). Also read: India: VP Dhankar, Cambodian king discuss defence, parliamentary cooperation "We cannot have a situation where you direct the President of India, and on what basis?" he asked. "So, we have judges who will legislate, who will perform executive functions, who will act as super Parliament and absolutely have no accountability because the law of the land does not apply to them," Dhankhar said during his speech to the Rajya Sabha. "The only right you have under the Constitution is to interpret the Constitution under Article 145(3). There, it has to be five judges when Article 145(3) was there, the number of judges in the Supreme Court was eight, 5 out of 8, now 5 out of 30 odd more," the VP wrote in his X post. Also read: Sushil Kumar, Olympic medalist and main accused in Sagar Dhankar murder case, granted bail "What is happening in the country? We have to be extremely sensitive. It is not a question of someone filing a review or not. We never bargained for democracy on this day. President being called upon to decide in a time-bound manner, and if not, it becomes law," Dhankhar said. What is Article 142? Article 142 of the Indian Constitution grants immense power to the apex court to ensure complete justice in any case before it. "The Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it..." the article narrates. Extraordinary power Also read: India Vice-President elections 2022 | A look at NDA's candidate JagdeepÂ Dhankar Article 142 of the Indian Constitution allows the SC to take action that may not be strictly within the bounds of the existing law as long as it ensures complete justice in the case. Binding nature Any order that gets passed under Article 142 is enforceable throughout India and is binding on all courts and authorities. 'Is the delay explainable?' Dhankar also talked about the incident of cash which was allegedly found in the residence of a sitting Delhi high court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma. Also read: Mamata has taken unconstitutional route by seeking outside intervention on CAA: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar "An event happened on the night of 14th and 15th of March in New Delhi, at the residence of a judge. For seven days, no one knew about it. We have to ask questions to ourselves. Is the delay explainable? Condonable? Does it not raise certain fundamental questions? In any ordinary situation, and ordinary situations define the rule of law — things would have been different,” the VP said.

What is Article 142? Indian VP calls it 'a nuclear missile' against democracy | WION Explains

A minister from India's Jharkhand landed in hot water after saying that the Islamic Sharia law is more important than the Indian constitution. The minister, Hafizul Hassan, triggered massive outrage from the public and political groups like BJP, after his statement: "Shariat hamare liye bada hai. Hum Quran seene mein rakhte hain aur haath me samvidhaan. Islam mein Shariat ko pehle pakdenge fir samvidhaan ko." (Sharia is greater for me. I keep the Quran (Islam's holy book) near to my heart and the Indian constitution in my hand. As per Islam, Sharia if first then is the Indian constitution).
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democracy-dead-and-sharia-in-effect-we-dont-need-western-laws-taliban-leader-akhundzada-8907620">Democracy dead and sharia in effect, we don&rsquo;t need Western laws: Taliban leader Akhundzada</a>
As his remarks were aired on a news channel, the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back at the minister. But when he was asked to clarify his statement, the state's minority welfare minister took a U-turn.&nbsp;
"I had said that Shariat mere seene mein hain par Babasaheb ka samvidhaan haath me hai (Shariat is there in my heart, but Babasaheb's Constitution is in my hands). Both the Constitution and Shariat are equally important," the minister said on Monday (April 14) after facing the backlash.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sharia-rule-a-lifelong-responsibility-akhundzada-on-three-years-of-taliban-rule-in-afghanistan-750426">Sharia rule a 'lifelong responsibility': Akhundzada on three years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan</a>
"You have seen statues of Babasaheb holding the Constitution in his hand. We come from financially backward communities. He gave reservations to us and that's why we have been ahead," the minister added.&nbsp;
<h2>'Not I but we'?</h2>
Talking to the news agency ANI, Hassan said, "I did not say 'main' (I), I said 'hum' (we). Watch the full statement. I am a minister, 'hum' includes everyone. A minister believes in the Constitution and functions in accordance. Shariat too has its own place. People keep Lord Hanuman in their heart...it's a way of saying. I said something similar. Everyone is distorting it and presenting it. You will find out, when you watch the entire 5-6 minutes of what I said."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9hy0aat-exi4coo1-g1u11l90">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Ranchi: On his "Shariat first, then Constitution" reported statement, Jharkhand Minister Hafizul Hassan says, "I did not say 'main' (I), I said 'hum' (we). Watch the full statement. I am a minister, 'hum' includes everyone. A minister believes in the Constitution and&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/QKVnUloUH0">pic.twitter.com/QKVnUloUH0</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1911756701017006396?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h2>'Doors of Pakistan and Bangladesh were open'</h2>
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sharia-rule-a-lifelong-responsibility-akhundzada-on-three-years-of-taliban-rule-in-afghanistan-750426">Sharia rule a 'lifelong responsibility': Akhundzada on three years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan</a>
Meanwhile, the BJP hit back at the minister's remarks. Taking to the social media platform X, the party said that Hassan's comments meant that the "doors of Pakistan and Bangladesh were open".&nbsp;
"For those who have Shariat in their hearts, the doors of Pakistan and Bangladesh are open. India will run only on the Constitution of Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and will remain supreme," the &nbsp;BJP said.&nbsp;
<h2>'Marriage age for girls should be reduced'</h2>
Hassan is the same minister who drew massive criticism in 2021 for saying that the marriage age for girls should be reduced. He said that it should be 16, but if not possible, then keep it at 18 at least.
&ldquo;Going by the growth these days, it should be decreased to 16. If not, then it should remain at 18,&rdquo; Hassan had said.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-sunni-cleric-slams-execution-in-iran-calls-its-violation-of-sharia-law-541781">Top Sunni cleric slams execution in Iran, calls its violation of Sharia law</a>
(With inputs from agencies)

India News | A minister from India's Jharkhand landed in hot water after saying that the Islamic Sharia law is more important than the Indian constitution.

A minister from India's Jharkhand landed in hot water after saying that the Islamic Sharia law is more important than the Indian constitution. The minister, Hafizul Hassan, triggered massive outrage from the public and political groups like BJP, after his statement: "Shariat hamare liye bada hai. Hum Quran seene mein rakhte hain aur haath me samvidhaan. Islam mein Shariat ko pehle pakdenge fir samvidhaan ko." (Sharia is greater for me. I keep the Quran (Islam's holy book) near to my heart and the Indian constitution in my hand. As per Islam, Sharia if first then is the Indian constitution). Also read: Democracy dead and sharia in effect, we don’t need Western laws: Taliban leader Akhundzada As his remarks were aired on a news channel, the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back at the minister. But when he was asked to clarify his statement, the state's minority welfare minister took a U-turn. "I had said that Shariat mere seene mein hain par Babasaheb ka samvidhaan haath me hai (Shariat is there in my heart, but Babasaheb's Constitution is in my hands). Both the Constitution and Shariat are equally important," the minister said on Monday (April 14) after facing the backlash. Also read: Sharia rule a 'lifelong responsibility': Akhundzada on three years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan "You have seen statues of Babasaheb holding the Constitution in his hand. We come from financially backward communities. He gave reservations to us and that's why we have been ahead," the minister added. 'Not I but we'? Talking to the news agency ANI, Hassan said, "I did not say 'main' (I), I said 'hum' (we). Watch the full statement. I am a minister, 'hum' includes everyone. A minister believes in the Constitution and functions in accordance. Shariat too has its own place. People keep Lord Hanuman in their heart...it's a way of saying. I said something similar. Everyone is distorting it and presenting it. You will find out, when you watch the entire 5-6 minutes of what I said." #WATCH | Ranchi: On his "Shariat first, then Constitution" reported statement, Jharkhand Minister Hafizul Hassan says, "I did not say 'main' (I), I said 'hum' (we). Watch the full statement. I am a minister, 'hum' includes everyone. A minister believes in the Constitution and… pic.twitter.com/QKVnUloUH0 — ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2025 'Doors of Pakistan and Bangladesh were open' Also read: Sharia rule a 'lifelong responsibility': Akhundzada on three years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan Meanwhile, the BJP hit back at the minister's remarks. Taking to the social media platform X, the party said that Hassan's comments meant that the "doors of Pakistan and Bangladesh were open". "For those who have Shariat in their hearts, the doors of Pakistan and Bangladesh are open. India will run only on the Constitution of Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and will remain supreme," the BJP said. 'Marriage age for girls should be reduced' Hassan is the same minister who drew massive criticism in 2021 for saying that the marriage age for girls should be reduced. He said that it should be 16, but if not possible, then keep it at 18 at least. “Going by the growth these days, it should be decreased to 16. If not, then it should remain at 18,” Hassan had said. Also read: Top Sunni cleric slams execution in Iran, calls its violation of Sharia law (With inputs from agencies)

'Sharia law over Indian constitution'? Why Jharkhand minister's remarks spark political debate

ANI | President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday emphasized that the Constitution serves as the ultimate foundation of India's collective identity and binds people together as one family.
Addressing the nation on the eve of 76th Republic Day, the President congratulated the citizens and said the Constitution has become a living document because civic virtues have been part of India's moral compass for millennia.
"The Constituent Assembly, after nearly three years of debates, adopted the Constitution on 26th of November in 1949. That day, 26th November, has been celebrated as Samvidhan Divas, that is, Constitution Day, since 2015. Republic Day is indeed a matter of collective joy and pride for all citizens. Seventy-five years, someone might say, is only the blink of an eye in the life of a nation. No, I will say, not these past 75 years," the President said.
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"This has been the time when the long-dormant soul of India has awakened again, taking strides to regain its rightful place in the comity of nations. Among the oldest civilizations, India was once known as a source of knowledge and wisdom. There, however, came a dark phase, and inhuman exploitation under colonial rule led to utter poverty," she added.
President Murmu recalled the brave souls who made great sacrifices to free the motherland from the shackles of foreign rule.
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"Some were well known, while some remained little known till recently. We are celebrating this year the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, who stands as a representative of the freedom fighters whose role in national history is now being recognised in true proportions. In the early decades of the twentieth century, their struggles consolidated in an organized nationwide independence movement," she said.
The President said it was the nation's good fortune to have the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Babasaheb Ambedkar, "who helped it rediscover its democratic ethos. Justice, liberty, equality and fraternity are not theoretical concepts that we came to learn in modern times; they have always been part of our civilisational heritage".
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"It also explains why the critics who were cynical about the future of the Constitution and the Republic when India had newly become independent were proven so thoroughly wrong. The composition of our Constituent Assembly was also a testimony to our republican values. It had representatives from all parts and all communities of the country. Most notably, it had 15 women among its members, including stalwarts such as Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sucheta Kripalani, Hansaben Mehta and Malati Choudhury," she said.
The President said when women's equality was only a distant ideal in many parts of the world, in India women were actively contributing in shaping the destiny of the nation.
"The Constitution has become a living document because civic virtues have been part of our moral compass for millennia. The Constitution provides the ultimate foundation of our collective identity as Indians; it binds us together as a family," she said.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/republic-day-2025-traffic-advisory-issued-in-delhi-ncr-see-diversions-alternative-routes-8653046" rel="dofollow">Republic Day 2025: Traffic advisory issued in Delhi-NCR; check diversions, alternative routes</a>
"For 75 years now, it has guided the path of our progress. Today, let us humbly express our gratitude to Dr Ambedkar, who chaired the Drafting Committee, other distinguished members of the Constituent Assembly, various officers associated with and others who worked hard and bequeathed us this most wonderful document," she added.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from ANI feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

India news: The President said that the Constitution has become a living document as civic virtues have been part of India's moral compass for millennia.

ANI | President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday emphasized that the Constitution serves as the ultimate foundation of India's collective identity and binds people together as one family. Addressing the nation on the eve of 76th Republic Day, the President congratulated the citizens and said the Constitution has become a living document because civic virtues have been part of India's moral compass for millennia. "The Constituent Assembly, after nearly three years of debates, adopted the Constitution on 26th of November in 1949. That day, 26th November, has been celebrated as Samvidhan Divas, that is, Constitution Day, since 2015. Republic Day is indeed a matter of collective joy and pride for all citizens. Seventy-five years, someone might say, is only the blink of an eye in the life of a nation. No, I will say, not these past 75 years," the President said. Also read: Republic Day 2025: Know full schedule, special guests, performances and more "This has been the time when the long-dormant soul of India has awakened again, taking strides to regain its rightful place in the comity of nations. Among the oldest civilizations, India was once known as a source of knowledge and wisdom. There, however, came a dark phase, and inhuman exploitation under colonial rule led to utter poverty," she added. President Murmu recalled the brave souls who made great sacrifices to free the motherland from the shackles of foreign rule. Also read: Republic Day 2025: Who is the chief guest? List of previous guests "Some were well known, while some remained little known till recently. We are celebrating this year the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, who stands as a representative of the freedom fighters whose role in national history is now being recognised in true proportions. In the early decades of the twentieth century, their struggles consolidated in an organized nationwide independence movement," she said. The President said it was the nation's good fortune to have the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Babasaheb Ambedkar, "who helped it rediscover its democratic ethos. Justice, liberty, equality and fraternity are not theoretical concepts that we came to learn in modern times; they have always been part of our civilisational heritage". Also read: Republic Day 2025: Why Republic Day is hosted at Kartavya Path? "It also explains why the critics who were cynical about the future of the Constitution and the Republic when India had newly become independent were proven so thoroughly wrong. The composition of our Constituent Assembly was also a testimony to our republican values. It had representatives from all parts and all communities of the country. Most notably, it had 15 women among its members, including stalwarts such as Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sucheta Kripalani, Hansaben Mehta and Malati Choudhury," she said. The President said when women's equality was only a distant ideal in many parts of the world, in India women were actively contributing in shaping the destiny of the nation. "The Constitution has become a living document because civic virtues have been part of our moral compass for millennia. The Constitution provides the ultimate foundation of our collective identity as Indians; it binds us together as a family," she said. Also read: Republic Day 2025: Traffic advisory issued in Delhi-NCR; check diversions, alternative routes "For 75 years now, it has guided the path of our progress. Today, let us humbly express our gratitude to Dr Ambedkar, who chaired the Drafting Committee, other distinguished members of the Constituent Assembly, various officers associated with and others who worked hard and bequeathed us this most wonderful document," she added. Disclaimer: This story has been published from ANI feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Constitution provides ultimate foundation of our collective identity as Indians, says Murmu in R-Day address

On 26th November 2024, marking the 75th year of the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly, India will get a Constitution Museum that offers tributes to all 299 members of the Indian Constituent Assembly (the entity that drafted the Indian Constitution). The Museum, situated at the JGU Campus in Haryana, will feature sculptures, paintings, art forms, and panels, providing detailed information about every member of the Constituent Assembly, and their contributions to the Constitution.

The museum will also feature an interactive guide dubbed SAMVID - Smart Assistant for Museum Visitors and Interactive Displays, developed by IIT Madras and JGU.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-faces-severe-smog-as-aqi-soars-to-428-will-grap-3-be-enforced-primary-schools-shut-details-here-776054">Delhi faces severe smog as AQI soars to 428. Will GRAP 3 be enforced, primary schools shut? Details here</a>

The implementation of SAMVID is being carried out by IIT Madras' Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Robotics Centre at IIT Madras.

“By blending technology with heritage, we can provide an immersive experience to visitors at the Constitution Museum to engage with our nation's foundational legacy,” said Prof Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Head, RBG, Dept of Engg Design, IIT Madras.

Among the exhibits at the Museum would be the pieces from the original handcrafted document and artworks inspired by the Constitution. According to those working on setting up the Constitution Museum, the upcoming facility is aimed at promoting civic education among ordinary people, helping them understand and appreciate the history of the Constitution. It also aims at democratising access to the Constitution, which is perceived as confined to those in the legal profession.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rents-surged-by-up-to-70-in-7-major-indian-cities-including-delhi-study-775929">Rents surged by up to 70% in 7 major Indian cities including Delhi: Study</a>

The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949 and came into force on 26th January 1950. The Constituent Assembly took almost three years (two years, eleven months, and seventeen days) to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India. During this period, it held eleven sessions covering a total of 165 days. Of these, 114 days were spent on the consideration of the Draft Constitution.

Constitution Day, also known as 'Samvidhan Divas', is celebrated in India on 26th November to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. The 75-year journey of the Constitution of India, including its continuous interpretation by the courts and the various amendments by Parliament, makes it among the world’s most dynamic and evolving constitutions.

On 26th November 2024, marking the 75th year of the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly, India will get a Constitution Museum that offers tributes to all 299 members of the Indian Constituent Assembly (the entity that drafted the Indian Constitution).

On 26th November 2024, marking the 75th year of the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly, India will get a Constitution Museum that offers tributes to all 299 members of the Indian Constituent Assembly (the entity that drafted the Indian Constitution). The Museum, situated at the JGU Campus in Haryana, will feature sculptures, paintings, art forms, and panels, providing detailed information about every member of the Constituent Assembly, and their contributions to the Constitution. The museum will also feature an interactive guide dubbed SAMVID - Smart Assistant for Museum Visitors and Interactive Displays, developed by IIT Madras and JGU. Also read | Delhi faces severe smog as AQI soars to 428. Will GRAP 3 be enforced, primary schools shut? Details here The implementation of SAMVID is being carried out by IIT Madras' Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Robotics Centre at IIT Madras. “By blending technology with heritage, we can provide an immersive experience to visitors at the Constitution Museum to engage with our nation's foundational legacy,” said Prof Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Head, RBG, Dept of Engg Design, IIT Madras. Among the exhibits at the Museum would be the pieces from the original handcrafted document and artworks inspired by the Constitution. According to those working on setting up the Constitution Museum, the upcoming facility is aimed at promoting civic education among ordinary people, helping them understand and appreciate the history of the Constitution. It also aims at democratising access to the Constitution, which is perceived as confined to those in the legal profession. Also read | Rents surged by up to 70% in 7 major Indian cities including Delhi: Study The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949 and came into force on 26th January 1950. The Constituent Assembly took almost three years (two years, eleven months, and seventeen days) to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution for Independent India. During this period, it held eleven sessions covering a total of 165 days. Of these, 114 days were spent on the consideration of the Draft Constitution. Constitution Day, also known as 'Samvidhan Divas', is celebrated in India on 26th November to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. The 75-year journey of the Constitution of India, including its continuous interpretation by the courts and the various amendments by Parliament, makes it among the world’s most dynamic and evolving constitutions.

Marking 75th year of Constitution adoption, India to get Constitution Museum

The Indian Supreme Court said on Wednesday (Apr 24) that it would be dangerous to say that the private property of an individual cannot be regarded as material resources of the community and taken over by state authorities to subserve the "common good".

The Indian Supreme Court said on Wednesday (Apr 24) that it would be dangerous to say that the private property of an individual cannot be regarded as material resources of the community and taken over by state authorities to subserve the "common good". This observation was made by a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud examining whether privately owned resources can be considered "material resources of the community". The counsel for parties, including the Property Owners Association (POA) of Mumbai, then made vehement submissions that state authorities cannot take over private properties under the garb of constitutional schemes of Articles 39 (b) and 31 C of the Constitution. A report by the news agency PTI said that the bench was considering the vexed legal question arising from the petitions on whether private properties can be considered "material resources of the community" under Article 39 (b). What is Article 39 (b)? Article 39 (b) of the Constitution makes it obligatory for the State to create policy towards securing "that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good." Also read | Indian Supreme Court allows 14-year-old rape survivor to abort 28-week pregnancy A total of 16 petitions including the lead petition filed by the Mumbai-based POA were heard by the bench. What did the bench say? On Wednesday, the Supreme Court bench said that it might be a little extreme to suggest that material resources of the community only meant "public resources and we do not have their origin in the private property of an individual." "Take simple things like mines and even private forests. For instance, for us to say that the governmental policy will not apply to the private forests under Article 39 (b)... therefore keep the hands off. It will be extremely dangerous as a proposition," the bench added. The bench highlighted that the Constitution was intended to bring about social transformation and we cannot say that Article 39 (b) has no application once the property is privately held. Also watch | Indian Supreme Court links right against climate change to Article 21 & 14 × It further said that whether the Maharashtra law, empowering authorities to take over dilapidated buildings, was valid or not was a completely different issue and would be decided independently. Meanwhile, CJI Chandrachud said, "You must understand that Article 39 (b) has been crafted in a certain way in the Constitution because the Constitution was intended to bring about a social transformation. We shouldn't therefore go that far to say that the moment private property is private property, Article 39 (b) will have no application." (With inputs from agencies)

Is seizure and redistribution of private property possible? Indian SC weighs in

A new row in the Indian politics after Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said key words have been dropped from the Indian Constitution. The Congress leader said that the copies of the Constitution which the lawmaker carried in their hands didn't have the word 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble.

Key words from Constitution of India dropped? | All you need to know about Preamble of Constitution

Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in one of his most vocal pitches, batted for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and called out opposition parties for manipulating and misleading the minority communities against it.

Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in one of his most vocal pitches, batted for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and called out opposition parties for manipulating and misleading the minority communities against it. After PM Modi's speech, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), a non-governmental organisation that represents the interests of Muslims in matters of personal law, held an emergency meeting on the issue. According to reports, the Board is opposed to UCC and is contemplating a strategy to counter the proposed move. "Our stand is that UCC is against the spirit of the Constitution and we will oppose it strongly. India is a country where many religions and cultures are followed. So, the UCC is not only going to affect the Muslims but also the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Jews, Parsis and other minuscule minorities," said one AIMPLB member. What is the UCC? UCC is a comprehensive set of common laws for all religions governing personal matters like marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, custody, alimony and others. It aims at ensuring equality among all religions. Although the complete form of UCC is under debate, a fair idea finds a mention in the Indian Constitution. Part IV of the Constitution deals with the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) which is not justiciable or enforceable before the courts of the country but plays a 'fundamental' role in the governance. Article 44 mentions the "state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India". When Dr BR Ambedkar was drafting the Constitution, he believed that the UCC was needed but should remain voluntary for the moment. "No one need be apprehensive that if the State has the power, the State will immediately proceed to execute... that power, in a manner, may be found to be objectionable by the Muslims or by the Christians or by any other community. I think it would be a mad government if it did so," he said in his speech in the Constituent Assembly. Ambedkar expressed his visible frustration towards the personal laws by asking members of the Constituent Assembly, "Why religion should be given expansive jurisdiction which is full of inequities, discriminations and other things, which conflict with fundamental rights." Also read | Muslim law board to present its views by July first week after PM Modi bats for Uniform Civil Code Why BJP is after it? More than anything, for the BJP, UCC remains an ideological promise that it has made to the country's electorate time and again to sweep the votes. During the canvassing trail for the 2019 General Elections, BJP promised in its manifesto that the party was committed to bringing UCC. The loyal, core vote bank of BJP, the middle-class Hindus have been demanding that UCC be implemented. However, despite being in power for over nine years, the Modi government has remained reluctant to take the decisive step, perhaps to not anger a significant portion of the minorities. But with the 2024 elections nearby, the government has once again stepped up its rhetoric on the issue. Also read | What is Uniform Civil Code? Here's everything you need to know about the law, its origin & current status Notably, the BJP government in Uttarakhand had announced it will implement UCC soon after coming to power. As of the latest update by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, UCC will be implemented soon after the final draft of the Code is submitted by the state government-appointed committee. What do the Indian courts have to say about it? The Supreme Court of India has time and again nudged various governments to bring in the UCC, as it is a vociferous supporter of the same. "There has been no attempt to frame a Uniform Civil Code applicable to all citizens of the country despite exhortations of this court in the case of Mohd Ahmed Khan vs Shah Bano and Sarla Mudgal and Others vs Union of India and Others," the apex court said in 2019. Similarly, in November 2021, the Allahabad High Court highlighted that the UCC is mandatory. The single-judge bench of Justice Suneet Kumar said that “a common civil code will help the cause of national integration by removing disparate loyalties to laws that have conflicting ideologies.” WATCH | Uniform Civil Code: Indian PM pitches for UCC, slams opposition’s vote-bank politics × Why are some against UCC implementation? One of the main arguments that make the implementation of UCC contentious is that it contradicts the constitutional freedom to practice the religion of choice which allows religious communities to follow their respective personal laws. Article 25 and Article 29 of the Constitution allow every religious group the right to manage its own affairs and the right to conserve its distinct culture, respectively. Muslim organisations, including AIMPLB, fear that once UCC is implemented, the common identity of Muslims will be snatched away. Moreover, some fear that UCC will impose a Hinduised code for all communities. Despite the provisions nowhere near being drafted, some believe that personal issues like marriage, in line with Hindu customs will be legally enforced on other communities. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Explained | What is so contentious about India's Uniform Civil Code that aims to annul personal laws?

Ahead of the assembly polls in the Western Indian state of Gujarat, the ruling BJP government is mulling a strategy to implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Reportedly, the state government will be forming a high-level committee under a retired high court or supreme court judge to look into the matter.

Ahead of the assembly polls in the Western Indian state of Gujarat, the ruling BJP government is mulling a strategy to implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Reportedly, the state government will be forming a high-level committee under a retired high court or supreme court judge to look into the matter. The announcement was made by the minister of state for home Harsh Sanghavi after a cabinet meeting in the capital city of Gandhinagar. “Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah, CM Bhupendra Patel has taken a historic decision in the cabinet meeting today — of forming a committee for implementing the Uniform Civil Code in the state," said Sanghavi. Also watch: India bridge collapse: At least 122 killed and over 100 injured in Gujarat Later, Sanghavi took to Twitter to state, "A high level committee will be formed to implement the "Uniform Civil Code" in Gujarat." गुजरात में "यूनिफॉर्म सिविल कोड" को लागू करने की दिशा में उच्चस्तरीय कमेटी का गठन किया जाएगा।#UCCInGujarat — Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) October 29, 2022 × રાજ્યમાં સમાન સીવીલ કોડ (Uniform Civil Code)ની આવશ્યકતા ચકાસવા તથા આ કોડ માટેનો મુસદ્દો તૈયાર કરવા સુપ્રિમ કોર્ટ/હાઇકોર્ટના નિવૃત્ત ન્યાયાધીશશ્રીની અધ્યક્ષતામાં ઉચ્ચકક્ષાની સમિતિની રચના કરવાનો મહત્વપૂર્ણ નિર્ણય આજે રાજ્ય મંત્રીમંડળની બેઠકમાં લેવામાં આવ્યો છે. — Bhupendra Patel (@Bhupendrapbjp) October 29, 2022 × Read more: Time to honour commitment on Uniform Civil Code As reported extensively by WION, UCC has been an ideological and political promise by the BJP for a long time. In the BJP’s 2019 general election manifesto, the party committed itself to implementing UCC on a country level. However, despite being in power for more than eight years now, the Narendra Modi government is yet to take a rather decisive step on the issue. Not the first time BJP has made such an announcement However, those privy to the matter understand that BJP has a knack of using UCC as a poll plank and sweep the votes ahead of crucial assembly elections. Earlier this year, prior to the Uttarakhand state election, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made a similar announcement, informing about constituting a committee to look into the implementation of UCC. “This committee will prepare a draft of the uniform civil code for the people of Uttarakhand. This UCC will be for equal laws on subjects like marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance for people of all religions." WATCH | Gravitas Plus: Uniform Civil Code: Is India ready? × UCC and its implementation finds a mention in India's Constitution under the Directive Principles of State Policy. "The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India,” states Article 44 of the Constitution. Notably, UCC is an exhaustive set of common laws for all religions governing personal matters like marriage, divorce, adoption, succession, and others. It aims at ensuring equality among all religions. However, a significant portion of the population, mostly Muslims are against UCC as it might interfere with the Muslim Personal Law, more colloquially known as Shariat. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE: WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Ahead of Gujarat assembly elections, BJP government attempts to introduce UCC

The Constitution of India provides a parallel executive, legislature and judiciary for the union and the states. The President is the Head of State for the whole of India and the Governor is the head of a state. No doubt that the Governor is appointed by the President under Article 155, whereas the President is elected under Article 54. This has been interpreted to mean that the Governor is the agent of the President and not an independent entity. Constitutionally that is a completely wrong interpretation, because in the matter of exercise of executive power, summoning of the Legislature, its prorogation and its dissolution, the Governor is totally independent of the President. Otherwise, the Governor, under Article 163, functions according to the aid and advice of his Council of Ministers, not that of the President. In legislative matters, it is the Governor who gives assent to Bills passed by the State Legislature, unless he reserves any for the prior approval of the President. Just as the President functions according to the aid and advice of his Council of Ministers, the Governor is in exactly the same position vis-à-vis the State and, therefore, the two offices of President and Governor are in parallel and not in a position of superiority or subordination.

The Governors, under the scheme of things in the Indian Constitution, have an independent place of their own and are expected to function as impartial Heads of States within the territory of their own State. This brings us to the question of what sort of persons should be appointed as Governors. What should be their qualifications or other competence to occupy this high office? Unfortunately, the Constitution is silent on this behalf except to state what is given in Article 157, that is, that no one who is not a citizen of India can be appointed as a Governor and that the person so appointed should have completed thirty-five years of age. Under Article 158, the Governor shall not be a Member of Parliament or of a State Legislature and on his assuming office, if he is such a Member of a Legislature, he will be deemed to have vacated his seat in the House. Secondly, the Governor is prohibited from holding any other office of profit. Other than this there are no qualifications laid down for appointment as Governor. Theoretically, he can be uneducated with a low intelligence quotient (IQ), with no record of public service or professional ability and, at least in explicit terms, is not even required to be sane. This probably means that even a certifiable lunatic could be appointed as Governor because there is no constitutional prohibition on this behalf. The Governor can be partisan, affiliated to a political party, but he can still be appointed as Governor. Is this the kind of person we need as Head of State?

It is a fact of which we can take notice that since 1967 (initiation of Mrs Gandhi’s Rule), all successive Governments, be it single majority or coalition, basically had four unspoken criteria for the appointment of Governors. They were (1) Party hacks who had put in a few decades of service to the party at the menial or low-grade political level, who have expectations that now that the party has come to power their loyalty will be rewarded. (2) If the State Government is to be destabilised, then send in a political person as Governor. (3) Where the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of a State are on good terms, then send a Governor with the Chief Minister’s approval. (4) Decrepit politicians aged almost to the point of senility, with major health problems, could be sent to a Raj Bhavan to enjoy its comforts and avail of the high-quality medical services which would be available to the Governor. In other words, use the Raj Bhavan as a nursing home for the aged and the sick.

Right from the time of Indira Gandhi, the post of Governor has been used for picking people who are party loyalists and want a comfortable position for themselves because they are otherwise worthless. It is unfortunate that the unspoken criteria laid down by the Congress party have been adopted wholeheartedly by every government which has succeeded Indira Gandhi. Every successive government does just the same, but one had expectations from Narendra Modi that he would understand the constitutional importance of the post of Governor and would appoint persons who could act in a nonpartisan manner. Unfortunately, that has not happened. This is not what we expect of our government and by sending middle-level politicians as Governors, a post which by its very nature should be apolitical. 

Of course, there will be controversy about any suggestions made regarding the qualifications for the post of Governor but as a starting point of debate, one should attempt some suggestions or a few considerations which must go into the appointment of a person as Governor. First and foremost, no active politician should ever be appointed as Governor. This means that for at least five years prior to such appointment the person should not have participated in any active politics, nor should formally be a member of any political party. The person appointed should not be more than seventy years of age and should not be considered for more than one additional term of reappointment. The person should have had formal education at least to the collegiate level. The person could be a professional such as a lawyer, doctor, etc. He could be a technocrat, an academician, a renowned architect, a person who has earned distinction in literature, someone who earned distinction as an administrator or diplomat, a successful farmer, environmentalist or social activist, or someone who has served the armed forces or the police and has earned a reputation for integrity and professional competence, a businessman with a clean record or anyone from any profession who has exhibited the ability to think and perform, whilst earning a reputation for honesty. The present government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is a pathfinder in so many such matters, would perform a great service to India if it codifies the principles on which Governors should be selected. In the long run, an impartial Governor would always be more useful to the nation than one who is partisan.

The Constitution of India provides a parallel executive, legislature and judiciary for the union and the states. The President is the Head of State for the whole of India and the Governor is the head of a state.

The Constitution of India provides a parallel executive, legislature and judiciary for the union and the states. The President is the Head of State for the whole of India and the Governor is the head of a state. No doubt that the Governor is appointed by the President under Article 155, whereas the President is elected under Article 54. This has been interpreted to mean that the Governor is the agent of the President and not an independent entity. Constitutionally that is a completely wrong interpretation, because in the matter of exercise of executive power, summoning of the Legislature, its prorogation and its dissolution, the Governor is totally independent of the President. Otherwise, the Governor, under Article 163, functions according to the aid and advice of his Council of Ministers, not that of the President. In legislative matters, it is the Governor who gives assent to Bills passed by the State Legislature, unless he reserves any for the prior approval of the President. Just as the President functions according to the aid and advice of his Council of Ministers, the Governor is in exactly the same position vis-à-vis the State and, therefore, the two offices of President and Governor are in parallel and not in a position of superiority or subordination. The Governors, under the scheme of things in the Indian Constitution, have an independent place of their own and are expected to function as impartial Heads of States within the territory of their own State. This brings us to the question of what sort of persons should be appointed as Governors. What should be their qualifications or other competence to occupy this high office? Unfortunately, the Constitution is silent on this behalf except to state what is given in Article 157, that is, that no one who is not a citizen of India can be appointed as a Governor and that the person so appointed should have completed thirty-five years of age. Under Article 158, the Governor shall not be a Member of Parliament or of a State Legislature and on his assuming office, if he is such a Member of a Legislature, he will be deemed to have vacated his seat in the House. Secondly, the Governor is prohibited from holding any other office of profit. Other than this there are no qualifications laid down for appointment as Governor. Theoretically, he can be uneducated with a low intelligence quotient (IQ), with no record of public service or professional ability and, at least in explicit terms, is not even required to be sane. This probably means that even a certifiable lunatic could be appointed as Governor because there is no constitutional prohibition on this behalf. The Governor can be partisan, affiliated to a political party, but he can still be appointed as Governor. Is this the kind of person we need as Head of State? It is a fact of which we can take notice that since 1967 (initiation of Mrs Gandhi’s Rule), all successive Governments, be it single majority or coalition, basically had four unspoken criteria for the appointment of Governors. They were (1) Party hacks who had put in a few decades of service to the party at the menial or low-grade political level, who have expectations that now that the party has come to power their loyalty will be rewarded. (2) If the State Government is to be destabilised, then send in a political person as Governor. (3) Where the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of a State are on good terms, then send a Governor with the Chief Minister’s approval. (4) Decrepit politicians aged almost to the point of senility, with major health problems, could be sent to a Raj Bhavan to enjoy its comforts and avail of the high-quality medical services which would be available to the Governor. In other words, use the Raj Bhavan as a nursing home for the aged and the sick. Right from the time of Indira Gandhi, the post of Governor has been used for picking people who are party loyalists and want a comfortable position for themselves because they are otherwise worthless. It is unfortunate that the unspoken criteria laid down by the Congress party have been adopted wholeheartedly by every government which has succeeded Indira Gandhi. Every successive government does just the same, but one had expectations from Narendra Modi that he would understand the constitutional importance of the post of Governor and would appoint persons who could act in a nonpartisan manner. Unfortunately, that has not happened. This is not what we expect of our government and by sending middle-level politicians as Governors, a post which by its very nature should be apolitical. Of course, there will be controversy about any suggestions made regarding the qualifications for the post of Governor but as a starting point of debate, one should attempt some suggestions or a few considerations which must go into the appointment of a person as Governor. First and foremost, no active politician should ever be appointed as Governor. This means that for at least five years prior to such appointment the person should not have participated in any active politics, nor should formally be a member of any political party. The person appointed should not be more than seventy years of age and should not be considered for more than one additional term of reappointment. The person should have had formal education at least to the collegiate level. The person could be a professional such as a lawyer, doctor, etc. He could be a technocrat, an academician, a renowned architect, a person who has earned distinction in literature, someone who earned distinction as an administrator or diplomat, a successful farmer, environmentalist or social activist, or someone who has served the armed forces or the police and has earned a reputation for integrity and professional competence, a businessman with a clean record or anyone from any profession who has exhibited the ability to think and perform, whilst earning a reputation for honesty. The present government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is a pathfinder in so many such matters, would perform a great service to India if it codifies the principles on which Governors should be selected. In the long run, an impartial Governor would always be more useful to the nation than one who is partisan.

Political appointment of Governor is against the true ethos of Indian Constitution

AG Perarivalan, who was convicted of involvement in the assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was freed on Wednesday (May 18) by the Supreme Court of the country.

AG Perarivalan, who was convicted of involvement in the assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was freed on Wednesday (May 18) by the Supreme Court of the country. Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber while campaigning in an election in the southern Indian town of Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991. In the same year, Perarivalan was convicted of purchasing the batteries used to detonate the bomb that killed Rajiv Gandhi. Perarivalan was on life imprisonment. In India's top court, a bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao invoked extraordinary powers to grant relief to the 50-year-old Perarivalan. The so-called extraordinary powers were conferred on it under Article 142 of the Constitution of the country. What is Article 142 of the Indian Constitution? Article 142 is often termed judicial activism. In cases and situations when law or statute is unable to provide a solution, Article 142 provides a special power to the Supreme Court of India to do "complete justice". It is understood that such orders are enforceable nationwide as prescribed by any law made by Parliament or order of the President of India. Definition of Article 142 in the Constitution of India "142. Enforcement of decrees and orders of Supreme Court and unless as to discovery, etc.- (1) The Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it, and any decree so passed or orders so made shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India in such manner as may be prescribed by or under any law made by Parliament and, until provision in that behalf is so made, in such manner as the President may by order prescribe. (2) Subject to the provisions of any law made in this behalf by Parliament, the Supreme Court shall, as respects the whole of the territory of India, have all and every power to make any order for the purpose of securing the attendance of any person, the discovery or production of any documents, or the investigation or punishment of any contempt of itself." Instances when Article 142 was used 2016: A ban on the sale of alcohol within a stipulated distance of 500 metres from the outer edge of the highway to avoid accidents due to drinking and driving. 2014: Coal block allocation case when Supreme Court cancelled the allocation of coal blocks granted from 1993 onwards who were guilty of wrongdoing. 1989: Article 142 was used to provide compensation to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict freed: All you need to know about Article 142 and its scope

On November 26, India marked its 72nd Constitution Day. It was on this day in 1949 when the constitution of India was drafted. What went into its making? Palki Sharma gets you some lesser-known facts from history.

Gravitas: India's Constitution Day: Lesser-known facts about the Constitution

India celebrates the 70th anniversary of its constitution today. Politicians all over the country extended their greetings to the citizens on the occasion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed a joint session of Parliament on the occasion of 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution and called upon citizens to fulfil the duties enshrined in the Constitution. 
 
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that the Indian Constitution talks about both rights and duties of the citizens. 
 
"The Constitution of India highlights both rights and duties of citizens. This is a special aspect of our Constitution...Let us think about how we can fulfil the duties enshrined in our Constitution," Modi said. 
 
He said that the citizens ensured that the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution are always upheld. 
 
He also outlined Indian citizens' faith in the democracy and stated that the holy book of constitution functions as guiding light. 
 
"I especially bow down to 130 crore Indians, who never let their faith in India's democracy diminish. Always considered our constitution to be a holy book, a guiding light," the Prime Minister told the parliamentarians.

Watch: India celebrates Constitution Day

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah also extended greetings to all the citizens on the occasion of the Constitution Day. 
 
"As a true sentinel of the Constitution, the Modi government is committed to working for the welfare of the 130 crore Indians as well as to maintain the unity and integrity of the country by following the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar ji. Greetings to all the countrymen on the Constitution Day," he tweeted. 
 
"The Constitution is the soul of our democracy. Our constitution, which binds the world's largest democracy in the thread of unity, is also federal and unitary," the Union Minister said in another tweet. 
 
November 26, which was earlier celebrated as Law Day, marks the day when India had adopted its Constitution back in 1949, more than two years after attaining independence from the British rule. 
 
Constitution Day is celebrated to mark the adoption&nbsp;of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on this day in 1949. It came into force on 26th January 1950, marking the beginning of a new era in the history of the Indian Republic. 
 
The Constitution day was first celebrated in 2015 as a mark of tribute to India's first Law Minister Bhim Rao Ambedkar, who played a pivotal role in the drafting of the Indian Constitution. 
 
The declaration regarding the same was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 11, 2015, while laying the foundation stone of Statue of Equality in Mumbai.

On the 70th anniversary, the government has also planned to launch a campaign to make aware people about the fundamental duties that are mentioned in Part-5A of the Constitution. 
 
Meanwhile, Opposition parties staged a protest outside the Parliament as a joint sitting of both the Houses was underway in the Central Hall. 
 
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, AK Antony among others boycotted the joint-session and protested outside the Parliament premises in front of the Ambedkar Statue opposing government formation in Maharashtra by BJP. 
 
The Opposition parties have announced to boycott the President Ram Nath Kovind's address at the joint sitting as well.

(With inputs from ANI)

India celebrates the 70th anniversary of its constitution today. Politicians all over the country extended their greetings to the citizens on the occasion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed a joint session of Parliament on the occasion of 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution and called upon citizens to fulfil the duties enshrined in the Constitution.

India celebrates the 70th anniversary of its constitution today. Politicians all over the country extended their greetings to the citizens on the occasion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed a joint session of Parliament on the occasion of 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution and called upon citizens to fulfil the duties enshrined in the Constitution. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that the Indian Constitution talks about both rights and duties of the citizens. "The Constitution of India highlights both rights and duties of citizens. This is a special aspect of our Constitution...Let us think about how we can fulfil the duties enshrined in our Constitution," Modi said. He said that the citizens ensured that the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution are always upheld. He also outlined Indian citizens' faith in the democracy and stated that the holy book of constitution functions as guiding light. "I especially bow down to 130 crore Indians, who never let their faith in India's democracy diminish. Always considered our constitution to be a holy book, a guiding light," the Prime Minister told the parliamentarians. Watch: India celebrates Constitution Day Union Home Minister Amit Shah also extended greetings to all the citizens on the occasion of the Constitution Day. "As a true sentinel of the Constitution, the Modi government is committed to working for the welfare of the 130 crore Indians as well as to maintain the unity and integrity of the country by following the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar ji. Greetings to all the countrymen on the Constitution Day," he tweeted. "The Constitution is the soul of our democracy. Our constitution, which binds the world's largest democracy in the thread of unity, is also federal and unitary," the Union Minister said in another tweet. November 26, which was earlier celebrated as Law Day, marks the day when India had adopted its Constitution back in 1949, more than two years after attaining independence from the British rule. Constitution Day is celebrated to mark the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on this day in 1949. It came into force on 26th January 1950, marking the beginning of a new era in the history of the Indian Republic. The Constitution day was first celebrated in 2015 as a mark of tribute to India's first Law Minister Bhim Rao Ambedkar, who played a pivotal role in the drafting of the Indian Constitution. The declaration regarding the same was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 11, 2015, while laying the foundation stone of Statue of Equality in Mumbai. On the 70th anniversary, the government has also planned to launch a campaign to make aware people about the fundamental duties that are mentioned in Part-5A of the Constitution. Meanwhile, Opposition parties staged a protest outside the Parliament as a joint sitting of both the Houses was underway in the Central Hall. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, AK Antony among others boycotted the joint-session and protested outside the Parliament premises in front of the Ambedkar Statue opposing government formation in Maharashtra by BJP. The Opposition parties have announced to boycott the President Ram Nath Kovind's address at the joint sitting as well. (With inputs from ANI)

Constitution Day: PM Modi addresses joint session of Parliament, says he 'bows down to 130 crore Indians'

In his 59th edition of the radio program 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he hopes that 'Constitution Day' reinforces obligation towards upholding the constitutional ideals and values.

"I hope that the 'Constitution Day' reinforces our obligation towards upholding the constitutional ideals and values thus contributing to nation-building. After all, this was the dream of the makers of our Constitution," Modi said during the radio address.

"My dear countrymen, November 26 is Constitution Day and it is a special day for the whole country," he underlined.

"This year it is even more special as we will be completing 70 years of the adoption of the Constitution," Modi said.

"Our Constitution guards the rights and dignity of every citizen which has been ensured owing to the farsightedness of its architects," he added.

In his 59th edition of the radio program 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he hopes that 'Constitution Day' reinforces obligation towards upholding the constitutional ideals and values.

In his 59th edition of the radio program 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he hopes that 'Constitution Day' reinforces obligation towards upholding the constitutional ideals and values. "I hope that the 'Constitution Day' reinforces our obligation towards upholding the constitutional ideals and values thus contributing to nation-building. After all, this was the dream of the makers of our Constitution," Modi said during the radio address. "My dear countrymen, November 26 is Constitution Day and it is a special day for the whole country," he underlined. "This year it is even more special as we will be completing 70 years of the adoption of the Constitution," Modi said. "Our Constitution guards the rights and dignity of every citizen which has been ensured owing to the farsightedness of its architects," he added.

Hope 'Constitution Day' reinforces obligation towards upholding constitutional ideas, values: PM Modi

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that Article 370 was a wound in the Constitution which "bloodied our piece of heart and the heaven on this earth - Kashmir".

Speaking at a public meeting here, Singh said, "We had always advocated for the abrogation of Article 370 and we fulfilled our dream after 72 years of independence. The first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said that Article 370 was a temporary provision and would die its own death. But it stayed for 69 years. It was the leadership of Narendra Modi which brought Article 370 to an end."

The Defence Minister further said that the terrorism that spread in Jammu and Kashmir was because of Article 370.

Around 41,500 people have lost their lives after independence because of the scourge of terrorism.

Around 5,500 security personnel have died there in the line of duty.

"The communal political parties accuse us of being communal. They should look within. We always practice what we preach. Our party is a unique party in the entire world which stood on its ideology and accomplished what we envisioned," Singh said.

He further went on to say that Jammu and Kashmir will be entirely transformed within five years and will come to be known as the paradise on earth again.

Singh warned Pakistan that it should not repeat the mistakes of 1965 and 1971 otherwise it would have to face dire consequences and it will fall on its own.

"Pakistan should not repeat the mistakes of 1965 and 1971 otherwise they should think about what will be the fate of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. If Pakistan continues to ill-treat the people of Balochistan and Sindh, it will fall on its own," Singh said.

"We have said right from the start that talks will happen when terrorism is uprooted by Pakistan. When talks would take place, they will only take place on the issue of Pakistan occupied Kashmir," he added.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that Article 370 was a wound in the Constitution which "bloodied our piece of heart and the heaven on this earth - Kashmir".

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that Article 370 was a wound in the Constitution which "bloodied our piece of heart and the heaven on this earth - Kashmir". Speaking at a public meeting here, Singh said, "We had always advocated for the abrogation of Article 370 and we fulfilled our dream after 72 years of independence. The first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said that Article 370 was a temporary provision and would die its own death. But it stayed for 69 years. It was the leadership of Narendra Modi which brought Article 370 to an end." The Defence Minister further said that the terrorism that spread in Jammu and Kashmir was because of Article 370. Around 41,500 people have lost their lives after independence because of the scourge of terrorism. Around 5,500 security personnel have died there in the line of duty. "The communal political parties accuse us of being communal. They should look within. We always practice what we preach. Our party is a unique party in the entire world which stood on its ideology and accomplished what we envisioned," Singh said. He further went on to say that Jammu and Kashmir will be entirely transformed within five years and will come to be known as the paradise on earth again. Singh warned Pakistan that it should not repeat the mistakes of 1965 and 1971 otherwise it would have to face dire consequences and it will fall on its own. "Pakistan should not repeat the mistakes of 1965 and 1971 otherwise they should think about what will be the fate of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. If Pakistan continues to ill-treat the people of Balochistan and Sindh, it will fall on its own," Singh said. "We have said right from the start that talks will happen when terrorism is uprooted by Pakistan. When talks would take place, they will only take place on the issue of Pakistan occupied Kashmir," he added.

Article 370 was a wound in the Indian Constitution: Rajnath Singh

Russia has backed India's decision to revoke the special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating into two Union Territories.

In response to a question, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and its division into two union territories are carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India"

Recalling the Simla and Lahore accord, the ministry said, "We hope that the differences between them will be resolved by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in accordance with the provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999." 
Both the agreement call of no third party mediation and resolution of issues between the two South Asian nations bilaterally.&nbsp;

Moscow also hoped that the "parties involved will not allow a new aggravation of the situation in the region as a result of the decisions" and added that Russia is a "consistent supporter of the normalization of relations between India and Pakistan."

So far, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, US, UN have reacted to India's decision on Kashmir. While Maldives, UAE, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Thailand have called it an internal matter of India, Saudi and Malaysia have said that India and Pakistan should settle the issues peacefully.

The Maldives, a member of the organisation of Islamic cooperation (OIC), went ahead to say that "we believe that it is the right of every sovereign nation to amend their laws as required."

Taking note of the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir and removal of Article 370, UAE envoy to India Dr Ahmed Al Banna called it India's internal matter and said "We expect that the changes would improve social justice and security and confidence of the people in the local governance and will encourage further stability and peace".

New Delhi has welcomed the positive statements by some OIC members with Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar saying, "There is also a greater understanding that the rhetoric of Pakistan is something which has been seen through and has been exposed on many counts."

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe in a tweet welcomed the creation of "Ladakh state" which he said will be the first Indian state with a Buddhist majority.&nbsp;

"Ladakh will become an Indian State. With 70% of Ladakh’s population being Buddhist it will be the first Indian state with a Buddhist majority. Creation of Ladakh and consequential restructuring is India’s internal matter, it is a beautiful region well worth a visit," he tweeted.

The United Nations, while appealing for "maximum restraint", recalled the '1972 Agreement on bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, also known as the Simla Agreement, which states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.'

Interestingly, the UN did not offer its office for mediation between India and Pakistan, a departure from the past actions.

The UN Security Council president Joanna Wronecka said, no comments in response to question by a reporter on Islamabad trying to raise the issue at the top body of the United Nation. 
US was the first country to react and said it has taken note of Indian govt's describing the developments "as strictly an internal matter" and said there has been no policy change by Washington.

Russia has backed India's decision to revoke the special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating into two Union Territories. In response to a question, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and its division into two union territories are carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India" Recalling the Simla and Lahore accord, the ministry said, "We hope that the differences between them will be resolved by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in accordance with the provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999.

Russia has backed India's decision to revoke the special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating into two Union Territories. In response to a question, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and its division into two union territories are carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India" Recalling the Simla and Lahore accord, the ministry said, "We hope that the differences between them will be resolved by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in accordance with the provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999." Both the agreement call of no third party mediation and resolution of issues between the two South Asian nations bilaterally. Moscow also hoped that the "parties involved will not allow a new aggravation of the situation in the region as a result of the decisions" and added that Russia is a "consistent supporter of the normalization of relations between India and Pakistan." So far, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, US, UN have reacted to India's decision on Kashmir. While Maldives, UAE, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Thailand have called it an internal matter of India, Saudi and Malaysia have said that India and Pakistan should settle the issues peacefully. The Maldives, a member of the organisation of Islamic cooperation (OIC), went ahead to say that "we believe that it is the right of every sovereign nation to amend their laws as required." Taking note of the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir and removal of Article 370, UAE envoy to India Dr Ahmed Al Banna called it India's internal matter and said "We expect that the changes would improve social justice and security and confidence of the people in the local governance and will encourage further stability and peace". New Delhi has welcomed the positive statements by some OIC members with Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar saying, "There is also a greater understanding that the rhetoric of Pakistan is something which has been seen through and has been exposed on many counts." Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe in a tweet welcomed the creation of "Ladakh state" which he said will be the first Indian state with a Buddhist majority. "Ladakh will become an Indian State. With 70% of Ladakh’s population being Buddhist it will be the first Indian state with a Buddhist majority. Creation of Ladakh and consequential restructuring is India’s internal matter, it is a beautiful region well worth a visit," he tweeted. The United Nations, while appealing for "maximum restraint", recalled the '1972 Agreement on bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, also known as the Simla Agreement, which states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.' Interestingly, the UN did not offer its office for mediation between India and Pakistan, a departure from the past actions. The UN Security Council president Joanna Wronecka said, no comments in response to question by a reporter on Islamabad trying to raise the issue at the top body of the United Nation. US was the first country to react and said it has taken note of Indian govt's describing the developments "as strictly an internal matter" and said there has been no policy change by Washington.

Russia backs India on abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on Saturday supported India's move of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/union-territory-status-for-jammu-and-kashmir-not-a-demotion-but-an-effort-to-align-it-with-rest-of-india-more-intensely-sources-241849">scrapping Article 370</a> and bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir, saying the exercise was 'carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India.'

“We proceed from fact that the changes associated with the change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and its division into two Union Territories are carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India,” said Russian foreign ministry.

Watch: Understanding China's stance on Kashmir

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Russian Foreign Ministry, in a statement issued, said it expects that India and Pakistan will not allow aggravation of the situation in the region due to the change by government of India in the status of the state of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/restrictions-to-be-eased-in-kashmir-police-chief-241675">Jammu and Kashmir</a>.

So far, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, US, UN have reacted to the Indian decision on Kashmir. While Maldives, UAE, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Thailand have called it an internal matter of India, Saudi and Malaysia have said that India Pakistan should peacefully settle the issues.

The Maldives, a member of the organisation of Islamic cooperation (OIC) went ahead to say that "we believe that it is the right of every sovereign nation to amend their laws as required."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/history-of-kashmir-and-what-revoking-of-special-status-means-240878">In pics: History of Kashmir and what revoking of special status means</a>

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-nsa-ajit-doval-visit-srinagar-asks-authorities-to-ensure-safety-of-locals-241727">PM Narendra Modi government </a>on August 5 revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and proposed that the state be bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Yesterday, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, making it into law. The bill was passed in both houses of the Indian Parliament earlier this week with 370 votes in its favour and 70 against it.

The Bill provides for the formation of the Union Territory of Ladakh without legislature and a separate one for Jammu and Kashmir with the legislature. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will come into existence as separate Union Territories on October 31.

Meanwhile, Pakistan, on its part, has downgraded bilateral ties with India and suspended all bilateral trade activities, communication, and railways, which facilitated people-to-people ties between each other.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on Saturday supported India's move of scrapping Article 370 and bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir, saying the exercise was 'carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on Saturday supported India's move of scrapping Article 370 and bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir, saying the exercise was 'carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India.' “We proceed from fact that the changes associated with the change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and its division into two Union Territories are carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India,” said Russian foreign ministry. Watch: Understanding China's stance on Kashmir × Russian Foreign Ministry, in a statement issued, said it expects that India and Pakistan will not allow aggravation of the situation in the region due to the change by government of India in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. So far, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, US, UN have reacted to the Indian decision on Kashmir. While Maldives, UAE, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Thailand have called it an internal matter of India, Saudi and Malaysia have said that India Pakistan should peacefully settle the issues. The Maldives, a member of the organisation of Islamic cooperation (OIC) went ahead to say that "we believe that it is the right of every sovereign nation to amend their laws as required." In pics: History of Kashmir and what revoking of special status means The PM Narendra Modi government on August 5 revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and proposed that the state be bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Yesterday, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, making it into law. The bill was passed in both houses of the Indian Parliament earlier this week with 370 votes in its favour and 70 against it. The Bill provides for the formation of the Union Territory of Ladakh without legislature and a separate one for Jammu and Kashmir with the legislature. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will come into existence as separate Union Territories on October 31. Meanwhile, Pakistan, on its part, has downgraded bilateral ties with India and suspended all bilateral trade activities, communication, and railways, which facilitated people-to-people ties between each other.

Article 370: Russia backs Modi government's move; says change in status of Jammu and Kashmir within framework of Indian Constitution

The Ministry of Home Affairs Saturday, refuted a news report of mass protest in Kashmir's Srinagar after PM Narendra Modi-led government on August 5 decided to withdraw the special status granted to the state under Article 370 and 35(A) of the Indian Constitution.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
News agency Reuters had published a report, quoting two policemen and an eye witness, claiming police on Friday used tear gas and pellet guns to "Fightback" protesters that numbered "at least 10,000" in the valley.&nbsp;

Taking to Twitter, the spokesperson of the home ministry said, "A news report originally published in Reuters and appeared in Dawn claims there was a protest involving 10000 people in Srinagar. This is completely fabricated &amp; incorrect. There have been a few stray protests in Srinagar/Baramulla and none involved a crowd of more than 20 people."

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A news report originally published in Reuters and appeared in Dawn claims there was a protest involving 10000 people in Srinagar. 
 
This is completely fabricated &amp; incorrect. There have been a few stray protests in Srinagar/Baramulla and none involved a crowd of more than 20 ppl.
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) <a href="https://twitter.com/PIBHomeAffairs/status/1160081078486368256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The administration has lifted prohibitory orders from Jammu region and asked schools to reopen from Saturday. Jammu and Kashmir was put under complete lockdown on August 11, a day before the government of India revoked Article 370 that gave special status to the state.

The&nbsp;PM Narendra Modi government&nbsp;on August 5 revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and proposed that the state be bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Yesterday, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, making it into law. The bill was passed in both houses of the Indian Parliament earlier this week with 370 votes in its favour and 70 against it.

The Bill provides for the formation of the Union Territory of Ladakh without legislature and a separate one for Jammu and Kashmir with the legislature. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will come into existence as separate Union Territories on October 31.

Meanwhile, Pakistan, on its part, has downgraded bilateral ties with India and suspended all bilateral trade activities, communication, and railways, which facilitated people-to-people ties between each other.

The Ministry of Home Affairs Saturday, refuted a news report of mass protest in Kashmir's Srinagar after PM Narendra Modi-led government on August 5 decided to withdraw the special status granted to the state under Article 370 and 35(A) of the Indian Constitution.

The Ministry of Home Affairs Saturday, refuted a news report of mass protest in Kashmir's Srinagar after PM Narendra Modi-led government on August 5 decided to withdraw the special status granted to the state under Article 370 and 35(A) of the Indian Constitution. News agency Reuters had published a report, quoting two policemen and an eye witness, claiming police on Friday used tear gas and pellet guns to "Fightback" protesters that numbered "at least 10,000" in the valley. Taking to Twitter, the spokesperson of the home ministry said, "A news report originally published in Reuters and appeared in Dawn claims there was a protest involving 10000 people in Srinagar. This is completely fabricated & incorrect. There have been a few stray protests in Srinagar/Baramulla and none involved a crowd of more than 20 people." A news report originally published in Reuters and appeared in Dawn claims there was a protest involving 10000 people in Srinagar. This is completely fabricated & incorrect. There have been a few stray protests in Srinagar/Baramulla and none involved a crowd of more than 20 ppl. — Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) August 10, 2019 × The administration has lifted prohibitory orders from Jammu region and asked schools to reopen from Saturday. Jammu and Kashmir was put under complete lockdown on August 11, a day before the government of India revoked Article 370 that gave special status to the state. The PM Narendra Modi government on August 5 revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and proposed that the state be bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Yesterday, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, making it into law. The bill was passed in both houses of the Indian Parliament earlier this week with 370 votes in its favour and 70 against it. The Bill provides for the formation of the Union Territory of Ladakh without legislature and a separate one for Jammu and Kashmir with the legislature. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will come into existence as separate Union Territories on October 31. Meanwhile, Pakistan, on its part, has downgraded bilateral ties with India and suspended all bilateral trade activities, communication, and railways, which facilitated people-to-people ties between each other.

Article 370: Ministry of Home Affairs rejects media report claiming massive protests in Srinagar

Article 35A is part of the constitution and making any amendment to it will not benefit anyone said Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday.

"No one should even touch the subject of Article 35A. It is a part of the constitution and no one should make an attempt to scrap it. It will be in no one's favour," he asserted.

Aiyar also suggested that Hurriyat leaders should also be brought on board for discussion on Kashmir.

"I believe Hurriyat should be a part of the dialogue. During my last visit to Kashmir in May 2017, I invited Hurriyat. I will meet everyone who is ready to meet me. Before my current visit, I had contacted Yasin Malik through a friend but he refused to meet me in Srinagar and said to meet in Delhi instead".

Expressing delight over his return in the Congress party, the former minister said, "I haven't met Congress President Rahul Gandhi yet and hence can't comment on my future prospects. I think my interest in Kashmir has been consistent as a citizen of India".

Aiyar also took the occasion to draw comparison between Kashmir issue and south India's Dravidian movement and said, "I belong to Tamil Nadu and there was Dravid movement there between 1947-62, the main demand was that they don`t want to be a part of India.

The issue was solved amicably with dialogue and now Tamil Nadu remains an integral part of India".Reacting to a question of having a referendum in the valley, he said, "we conduct elections and everyone is free to contest in it.

There are some people who claim to be the voice of Kashmir but they don`t take part in the election process.

Saying that there are people demanding referendum hence we must conduct only referendum here is unjust".The Congress Party had revoked the suspension of Mani Shankar Aiyar from its primary membership on August 18, 2018. He was suspended from Congress in December 2017 after making a controversial remark on Prime Minister Modi.&nbsp;

'No one should even touch the subject of Article 35A. It is a part of the constitution and no one should make an attempt to scrap it. It will be in no one`s favour', he asserted.

Article 35A is part of the constitution and making any amendment to it will not benefit anyone said Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday. "No one should even touch the subject of Article 35A. It is a part of the constitution and no one should make an attempt to scrap it. It will be in no one's favour," he asserted. Aiyar also suggested that Hurriyat leaders should also be brought on board for discussion on Kashmir. "I believe Hurriyat should be a part of the dialogue. During my last visit to Kashmir in May 2017, I invited Hurriyat. I will meet everyone who is ready to meet me. Before my current visit, I had contacted Yasin Malik through a friend but he refused to meet me in Srinagar and said to meet in Delhi instead". Expressing delight over his return in the Congress party, the former minister said, "I haven't met Congress President Rahul Gandhi yet and hence can't comment on my future prospects. I think my interest in Kashmir has been consistent as a citizen of India". Aiyar also took the occasion to draw comparison between Kashmir issue and south India's Dravidian movement and said, "I belong to Tamil Nadu and there was Dravid movement there between 1947-62, the main demand was that they don`t want to be a part of India. The issue was solved amicably with dialogue and now Tamil Nadu remains an integral part of India".Reacting to a question of having a referendum in the valley, he said, "we conduct elections and everyone is free to contest in it. There are some people who claim to be the voice of Kashmir but they don`t take part in the election process. Saying that there are people demanding referendum hence we must conduct only referendum here is unjust".The Congress Party had revoked the suspension of Mani Shankar Aiyar from its primary membership on August 18, 2018. He was suspended from Congress in December 2017 after making a controversial remark on Prime Minister Modi.

Scrapping Article 35A from J&K won't benefit anyone: Mani Shankar Aiyar

The Pakistani Supreme Court cited, among other texts, the Indian constitution and Indian cases in its judgement Wednesday that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistans-top-court-tells-army-to-stay-out-of-politics-media-195566">slammed the Pakistani Army and the notorious spy agency the Inter-Services Intelligence</a> (ISI) for the Islamabad-Rawalpindi protests of 2017.

The 2017 sit-in had seen anti-blasphemy protests by the little-known group Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan which were later resolved by the powerful Pakistani Army but led to the resignation of the country's law minister.

The court, in its judgement, while elaborating on the "right to assemble peacefully", stated that "the rights to free movement, peaceful assembly and freedom of speech and expression (respectively Articles 15, 16 and 19 of the Constitution) are provided in Article 19 of the Indian Constitution" but in "India too such rights are not absolute".&nbsp;

It also cited two Indian cases in its judgement.

It used the Indian Supreme Court's judgement in "Bimal Gurung v Union of India" which said, "Demonstrations whether political, religious or social or other demonstrations which create public disturbances or operate as nuisances, or create or manifestly threaten some tangible public or private mischief, are not covered by protection under Article 19(1)."

The other case Pakistan's Supreme Court cited was "Re Ramlila Maidan Incident" in which the Indian Supreme Court observed, "To maintain and preserve public peace, and public order is unequivocal duty of the State and its organs… There can be no social order or proper State governance without the State performing this function and duty in all its spheres."

The Pakistani SC also used history to elaborate on "the right to protest", saying the Muslim League and the Congress protested peacefully and "as a consequence of which two independent countries, Pakistan and India, emerged".

The Pakistani Supreme Court in its judgement Wednesday asked intelligence agencies not to exceed their mandate and told the Pakistani Army not to engage in political activity since the Pakistani "Constitution emphatically prohibits" that.

The Pakistani Supreme Court cited, among other texts, the Indian constitution and Indian cases in its judgement Wednesday that slammed the Pakistani Army and the notorious spy agency the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the Islamabad-Rawalpindi protests of 2017.

The Pakistani Supreme Court cited, among other texts, the Indian constitution and Indian cases in its judgement Wednesday that slammed the Pakistani Army and the notorious spy agency the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the Islamabad-Rawalpindi protests of 2017. The 2017 sit-in had seen anti-blasphemy protests by the little-known group Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan which were later resolved by the powerful Pakistani Army but led to the resignation of the country's law minister. The court, in its judgement, while elaborating on the "right to assemble peacefully", stated that "the rights to free movement, peaceful assembly and freedom of speech and expression (respectively Articles 15, 16 and 19 of the Constitution) are provided in Article 19 of the Indian Constitution" but in "India too such rights are not absolute". It also cited two Indian cases in its judgement. It used the Indian Supreme Court's judgement in "Bimal Gurung v Union of India" which said, "Demonstrations whether political, religious or social or other demonstrations which create public disturbances or operate as nuisances, or create or manifestly threaten some tangible public or private mischief, are not covered by protection under Article 19(1)." The other case Pakistan's Supreme Court cited was "Re Ramlila Maidan Incident" in which the Indian Supreme Court observed, "To maintain and preserve public peace, and public order is unequivocal duty of the State and its organs… There can be no social order or proper State governance without the State performing this function and duty in all its spheres." The Pakistani SC also used history to elaborate on "the right to protest", saying the Muslim League and the Congress protested peacefully and "as a consequence of which two independent countries, Pakistan and India, emerged". The Pakistani Supreme Court in its judgement Wednesday asked intelligence agencies not to exceed their mandate and told the Pakistani Army not to engage in political activity since the Pakistani "Constitution emphatically prohibits" that.

Pakistan Supreme Court cites Indian cases, constitution in judgement that slams Pak Army, ISI

Freedom fighters had cherished many aspirations and dreams during the arduous course of the freedom struggle. Upon realisation of this dream, they were passionate about making a fresh start in the form and system of a government substantially different from that of alien rulers. Consequently, the arrival of political freedom gave impetus to the drafting of our own Constitution which was objectified on this day of January 26, 1950. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Constitution of India was, therefore, not a mere a set of fundamental principles that formed the basis of governance; but it codified and reflected certain basic ideals, philosophy and goals that were cherished by our founding fathers. Federalism, separation of powers, constitutionalism, rule of law is at the heart of Constitution. Besides, there are other fundamental principles which contribute meaningfully toward the achievement of liberty, order, and justice.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

First, the Constitution of India was based on the belief that a legitimate Constitution is that which originates with, and is controlled by we the people and, thus, a Constitution is more than a body of substantive rules and principles. Thomas Paine explained this the best when he said, &ldquo;a Constitution is not the act of a government, but of people&nbsp;constituting a government, and a government without a constitution is power without right.&rdquo; This principle is very well entrenched in the Preamble of the Constitution, which declares that the Constitution is ordained and established not by the government, but by &ldquo;We the People of India.&rdquo;&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Second, our Constitution subscribes to the view that the government must in all respects be politically accountable to the governed. This is accomplished through the election process and with the members of the House of Representatives being directly accountable to the electorate. Though sloping towards union, the States have an effective role by virtue of the Upper House, Electoral College to elect the President, and the amendment process.&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Third, the Constitution rested on the proposition that all governments are limited government. A Constitution is a legal, not just a political, limitation on government. It is considered by the Supreme Court, the antithesis of arbitrariness. Instead of advocating parliamentary supremacy, the Indian Constitution affirms that the Constitution shall be the supreme law of the land. &nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Fourth, the Constitution embraced the view that in order to ensure constitutionalism i.e. idea of limited government, the powers of government must be defined, distributed and divided. This tendency toward &ldquo;tyranny in the head&rdquo; shall be prevented, or at least discouraged, through a separation of powers among the three branches of the government. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Fifth, the Constitution of India was premised on the unassailable assumption that the rights and liberties of the people would be protected because the powers of government are limited. The drafters were over conscious and, thus, immunised the power process by inserting negative clauses (Fundamental Rights), inhibiting the government from assuming any such powers along with positive directional clauses (Directive Principles) to take affirmative action.&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

However, our Constitution was deficient in certain matters. As in the western conception of rights, Indian Constitution emphasised only rights rather than duties, in spite of the fact that these duties of citizens are encapsulated in the preamble to the Constitution. Duties, such as the duty to uphold the constitution and its ideals, duty to uphold sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, duty to promote harmony and brotherhood amongst all people must now be given substance rather than declarations of ornamental significance.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Otherwise, it would be impossible for a democratic community like India to ever flourish where the citizens are not enthusiastic to be active participants in the process of governance by assuming responsibilities and discharging citizenship duties with utmost integrity and honesty. Another duty of supreme importance which must be performed is the duty to practice tolerance, otherwise, constitutional democracy will be under threat, while the cherished freedom of expression and dissent will be held captive by fanatic mobs.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

I wish to recap on the virtuous occasion of 69th Republic Day, the finest lines of Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy in National Anthem Case: &ldquo;our tradition teaches tolerance; our philosophy preaches tolerance; our constitution practices tolerance; let us not dilute it.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

India Constitution rests on the proposition that all governments are limited government; the government must in all respects be politically accountable to the governed.

Freedom fighters had cherished many aspirations and dreams during the arduous course of the freedom struggle. Upon realisation of this dream, they were passionate about making a fresh start in the form and system of a government substantially different from that of alien rulers. Consequently, the arrival of political freedom gave impetus to the drafting of our own Constitution which was objectified on this day of January 26, 1950. Constitution of India was, therefore, not a mere a set of fundamental principles that formed the basis of governance; but it codified and reflected certain basic ideals, philosophy and goals that were cherished by our founding fathers. Federalism, separation of powers, constitutionalism, rule of law is at the heart of Constitution. Besides, there are other fundamental principles which contribute meaningfully toward the achievement of liberty, order, and justice. First, the Constitution of India was based on the belief that a legitimate Constitution is that which originates with, and is controlled by we the people and, thus, a Constitution is more than a body of substantive rules and principles. Thomas Paine explained this the best when he said, “a Constitution is not the act of a government, but of people constituting a government, and a government without a constitution is power without right.” This principle is very well entrenched in the Preamble of the Constitution, which declares that the Constitution is ordained and established not by the government, but by “We the People of India.” Second, our Constitution subscribes to the view that the government must in all respects be politically accountable to the governed. This is accomplished through the election process and with the members of the House of Representatives being directly accountable to the electorate. Though sloping towards union, the States have an effective role by virtue of the Upper House, Electoral College to elect the President, and the amendment process. Third, the Constitution rested on the proposition that all governments are limited government. A Constitution is a legal, not just a political, limitation on government. It is considered by the Supreme Court, the antithesis of arbitrariness. Instead of advocating parliamentary supremacy, the Indian Constitution affirms that the Constitution shall be the supreme law of the land. Fourth, the Constitution embraced the view that in order to ensure constitutionalism i.e. idea of limited government, the powers of government must be defined, distributed and divided. This tendency toward “tyranny in the head” shall be prevented, or at least discouraged, through a separation of powers among the three branches of the government. Fifth, the Constitution of India was premised on the unassailable assumption that the rights and liberties of the people would be protected because the powers of government are limited. The drafters were over conscious and, thus, immunised the power process by inserting negative clauses (Fundamental Rights), inhibiting the government from assuming any such powers along with positive directional clauses (Directive Principles) to take affirmative action. However, our Constitution was deficient in certain matters. As in the western conception of rights, Indian Constitution emphasised only rights rather than duties, in spite of the fact that these duties of citizens are encapsulated in the preamble to the Constitution. Duties, such as the duty to uphold the constitution and its ideals, duty to uphold sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, duty to promote harmony and brotherhood amongst all people must now be given substance rather than declarations of ornamental significance. Otherwise, it would be impossible for a democratic community like India to ever flourish where the citizens are not enthusiastic to be active participants in the process of governance by assuming responsibilities and discharging citizenship duties with utmost integrity and honesty. Another duty of supreme importance which must be performed is the duty to practice tolerance, otherwise, constitutional democracy will be under threat, while the cherished freedom of expression and dissent will be held captive by fanatic mobs. I wish to recap on the virtuous occasion of 69th Republic Day, the finest lines of Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy in National Anthem Case: “our tradition teaches tolerance; our philosophy preaches tolerance; our constitution practices tolerance; let us not dilute it." (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: On 69th Republic Day, what we need to remember about our Constitution

The Constitution of India offers basic guidelines and principles for the efficient functioning of our nation. It dictates the fundamental political principles, powers, and duties of the government and also enumerates the fundamental rights, directive principles and duties of the citizens.&nbsp;

The Constitution advocates constitutional supremacy over parliamentary supremacy and was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. It came into effect on January 26, 1950.

The Constitution was framed in a way to ensure that the Parliament does not have the power to override it. &nbsp;

However, one of the most controversial amendments introduced in the Constitution -- during the emergency of 1975 -- tweaked this very characteristic of the Constitution.&nbsp;

It was then when the powers of the Constitution were curtailed in the Forty-second Amendment of the Constitution. Popularly known as the Constitution (Forty second Amendment) Act of 1977, the amendment to the Constitution was initiated by the Indira Gandhi-led Indian National Congress during the emergency period.&nbsp;

The amendment was considered the most controversial in the history of India as it called for restricting the power of the Supreme Court and the High Court in pronouncing judgments complying with constitutional validity.&nbsp;

The 59th clause of the amendment snatched away several powers resting with the Supreme Court making Parliament the Supreme authority.&nbsp;

The amendment equipped the Prime Minister with uncontrolled powers to amend any section of the Constitution without any judicial intervention.&nbsp;

It transferred more powers to the Central Government, reducing the authority vested with the state governments.&nbsp;

Article 368 of the Amendment act restrained any constitutional amendment from being &ldquo;called into question in any court on any ground&rdquo;. Also, it clearly stated the nature of (unlimited) powers offered to the Parliament allowing it to amend the Constitution at any given point.&nbsp;

The Act dismissed the powers of the courts in dictating any judgment for office for profit cases. It eroded the federal structure of the Constitution completely. 
&nbsp; 
The Preamble was changed from &ldquo;sovereign, democratic, republic&rdquo; to &ldquo;sovereign, socialist, democratic, republic&rdquo; &nbsp;

Due to its utmost modifications of the Constitution, the amendment is often called &ldquo;mini-Constitution&rdquo; and the &quot;Constitution of Indira&rdquo;.&nbsp;

The Supreme court in 1980 reverted these modifications calling two provisions of the 42nd Amendment as unconstitutional.

The Emergency era and its infamous Constitution amendment had been widely criticised.&nbsp;

Indira Gandhi had to face its consequences in the elections that followed which led to the first-ever downfall of the Indian National Congress in India.

The Constitution was framed in a way to ensure that the Parliament does not have the power to override it

The Constitution of India offers basic guidelines and principles for the efficient functioning of our nation. It dictates the fundamental political principles, powers, and duties of the government and also enumerates the fundamental rights, directive principles and duties of the citizens. The Constitution advocates constitutional supremacy over parliamentary supremacy and was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. It came into effect on January 26, 1950. The Constitution was framed in a way to ensure that the Parliament does not have the power to override it. However, one of the most controversial amendments introduced in the Constitution -- during the emergency of 1975 -- tweaked this very characteristic of the Constitution. It was then when the powers of the Constitution were curtailed in the Forty-second Amendment of the Constitution. Popularly known as the Constitution (Forty second Amendment) Act of 1977, the amendment to the Constitution was initiated by the Indira Gandhi-led Indian National Congress during the emergency period. The amendment was considered the most controversial in the history of India as it called for restricting the power of the Supreme Court and the High Court in pronouncing judgments complying with constitutional validity. The 59th clause of the amendment snatched away several powers resting with the Supreme Court making Parliament the Supreme authority. The amendment equipped the Prime Minister with uncontrolled powers to amend any section of the Constitution without any judicial intervention. It transferred more powers to the Central Government, reducing the authority vested with the state governments. Article 368 of the Amendment act restrained any constitutional amendment from being “called into question in any court on any ground”. Also, it clearly stated the nature of (unlimited) powers offered to the Parliament allowing it to amend the Constitution at any given point. The Act dismissed the powers of the courts in dictating any judgment for office for profit cases. It eroded the federal structure of the Constitution completely. The Preamble was changed from “sovereign, democratic, republic” to “sovereign, socialist, democratic, republic” Due to its utmost modifications of the Constitution, the amendment is often called “mini-Constitution” and the "Constitution of Indira”. The Supreme court in 1980 reverted these modifications calling two provisions of the 42nd Amendment as unconstitutional. The Emergency era and its infamous Constitution amendment had been widely criticised. Indira Gandhi had to face its consequences in the elections that followed which led to the first-ever downfall of the Indian National Congress in India.

Constitution of Indira: The most controversial amendment to the Indian constitution

&nbsp;

Book Review: &ldquo;Indian Nationalism &ndash; The Essential Writings&rdquo;

Edited by: S Irfan Habib,

Aleph Book Co, 2017, ISBN: 978-93-86021-05-2, 295 pages

S.I.Habib writes this anthology with a clear view that we need to introspect seriously the democratic and civilised concepts of&nbsp; &lsquo;nation, patriotism, nationalism, and culture&rsquo;. A better understanding of these concepts can come from only defining and articulating them. Habib, a renowned historian of science and modern political history, has himself tried to define these in the book,&nbsp; Indian Nationalism &ndash; The Essential Writings (Aleph Book Co, 2017).

The anthology brings together some selected essays, pieces of debates, speeches and narrations penned over the period around the 1870s to 1980s that are not easy to find. The goal is to understand, interpret and frame nascent nationalism in India from the work of those thinkers. The book highlights, in particular, some of the secular thoughts of Indian Muslim pragmatic thinkers who have put India to be the country of their soul much ahead of their religious identity.

Poet Allama Iqbal writes to (Pandit) Nehru on the question of self-determination of the Muslims, the community&#39;s quest for cultural unification:&nbsp;

&nbsp;&lsquo;The body and the soul are alike mortgaged to others/Neither the house nor the house-owner remains.&quot;

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&ldquo;Indian Nationalism &ndash; The Essential Writings&rdquo;. Edited by: S Irfan Habib (Others)
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Discussing the current state of nationalism in India,&nbsp; S I Habib describes the current spates of events, particularly the JNU crisis of 2016-17, as &lsquo;ballistic nationalism&rsquo;. The current form of nationalism is different from the nationalism as originally perceived during the formative phases of the freedom movement. The idea of the Indian nation, Habib shows, rests on a &lsquo;liberal-moderate&#39; form of nationalism which gradually transformed into a consensus-based &lsquo;inclusive nationalism&rsquo;.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Habib, in this anthology, brings out the very many forms of nationalism ranging from economic, combative, paranoid to cosmopolitan.&nbsp;

While referring to the expert views of prominent scholars of nationalism, such as Elie Kedourie and Harold Laski, Habib traces the global discourse on nationalism. Though the first pulse of nationalism became evident in the 1750s, it is only in the twentieth century that the ideas of national received global reception.&nbsp;

An interesting feature of nationalism, Habib points out, is that it is a very strong political emotion, yet malleable enough to accommodate the mix of political, cultural, linguistic and religious identities.

&nbsp;Ruled by ancient and medieval kingdoms, Habib points out that India has been a mixed mosaic. Here, for long, the love was for the dynasties and not for the nation. It was with the oppressive colonial regime that Indian nationalism emerged as a reactive tool. Under this newfound nationalism is where the Indians found an identity beyond local and regional boundaries.&nbsp;

It has been discussed in the essays how British colonial rulers interrupted the political evolution of a nation-state that was driven by the inner dynamics of a disintegrating Mughal empire. A new mix of &lsquo;political community&rsquo; got concretised under colonial modernity but that nationalism turned out to be an antithesis of colonisation.&nbsp;

Habib refers to Benjamin Zachariah&rsquo;s book &lsquo;Playing the Nation Game&rsquo; (2011) that discusses a variety of rabid forms of nationalism that emerged particularly because of state-sponsorship to nationalistic fervour. Monopolising the regimented patriotism, the governing power is charging the sentiment of the common people to find &lsquo;the other &ndash; the object of hate&rsquo; to focus on. Thus, nationalism is transforming into theology, opposing this view is dubbed as blasphemy; history has seldom spared the men of reason.

Any discussion on nationalism within the Indian context is complete without mentioning Jawaharlal Nehru. Habib refers to Nehru&#39;s writings before the independence wherein he spoke unequivocally about the forces &quot;which under the guise of &lsquo;their-culture&rsquo; narrows our minds and outlook, and essentially restricts and denies...&quot; rather than widen the mind and the spirit. Habib observes that this kind nationalism, the legacy of the freedom struggle, was challenged by the RSS since the 1930s, and has become a serious threat now.&nbsp;

&nbsp;As we celebrate the 69th year of the Indian Constitution, we have to remember that a much inclusive form of nationalism lies at the core of our Constitution. Gopal Gandhi most aptly and crisply sums of the sentiment in the book as &lsquo;India is all Indians and all Indians are India&rsquo;. Habib opines that what is at stake now is the essence of &lsquo;liberal nationalism, which the nation has nursed through the last century.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The book is pretty well presented except a negligible misprint in the content page; there are two chapter &lsquo;VI&rsquo;s. In jest, perhaps the publishers did not want a chapter XIII, could have followed the British legacy of calling it &lsquo;XII and Half&rsquo;, a cabin so numbered in the &lsquo;Woodburn Ward&rsquo; of PG Hospital, Kolkata during their regime.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

S Irfan Habib opines that what is at stake now is the essence of ‘liberal nationalism, which the nation has nursed through the last century.

Book Review: “Indian Nationalism – The Essential Writings” Edited by: S Irfan Habib, Aleph Book Co, 2017, ISBN: 978-93-86021-05-2, 295 pages S.I.Habib writes this anthology with a clear view that we need to introspect seriously the democratic and civilised concepts of ‘nation, patriotism, nationalism, and culture’. A better understanding of these concepts can come from only defining and articulating them. Habib, a renowned historian of science and modern political history, has himself tried to define these in the book, Indian Nationalism – The Essential Writings (Aleph Book Co, 2017). The anthology brings together some selected essays, pieces of debates, speeches and narrations penned over the period around the 1870s to 1980s that are not easy to find. The goal is to understand, interpret and frame nascent nationalism in India from the work of those thinkers. The book highlights, in particular, some of the secular thoughts of Indian Muslim pragmatic thinkers who have put India to be the country of their soul much ahead of their religious identity. Poet Allama Iqbal writes to (Pandit) Nehru on the question of self-determination of the Muslims, the community's quest for cultural unification: ‘The body and the soul are alike mortgaged to others/Neither the house nor the house-owner remains." “Indian Nationalism – The Essential Writings”. Edited by: S Irfan Habib (Others) × Discussing the current state of nationalism in India, S I Habib describes the current spates of events, particularly the JNU crisis of 2016-17, as ‘ballistic nationalism’. The current form of nationalism is different from the nationalism as originally perceived during the formative phases of the freedom movement. The idea of the Indian nation, Habib shows, rests on a ‘liberal-moderate' form of nationalism which gradually transformed into a consensus-based ‘inclusive nationalism’. Habib, in this anthology, brings out the very many forms of nationalism ranging from economic, combative, paranoid to cosmopolitan. While referring to the expert views of prominent scholars of nationalism, such as Elie Kedourie and Harold Laski, Habib traces the global discourse on nationalism. Though the first pulse of nationalism became evident in the 1750s, it is only in the twentieth century that the ideas of national received global reception. An interesting feature of nationalism, Habib points out, is that it is a very strong political emotion, yet malleable enough to accommodate the mix of political, cultural, linguistic and religious identities. Ruled by ancient and medieval kingdoms, Habib points out that India has been a mixed mosaic. Here, for long, the love was for the dynasties and not for the nation. It was with the oppressive colonial regime that Indian nationalism emerged as a reactive tool. Under this newfound nationalism is where the Indians found an identity beyond local and regional boundaries. It has been discussed in the essays how British colonial rulers interrupted the political evolution of a nation-state that was driven by the inner dynamics of a disintegrating Mughal empire. A new mix of ‘political community’ got concretised under colonial modernity but that nationalism turned out to be an antithesis of colonisation. Habib refers to Benjamin Zachariah’s book ‘Playing the Nation Game’ (2011) that discusses a variety of rabid forms of nationalism that emerged particularly because of state-sponsorship to nationalistic fervour. Monopolising the regimented patriotism, the governing power is charging the sentiment of the common people to find ‘the other – the object of hate’ to focus on. Thus, nationalism is transforming into theology, opposing this view is dubbed as blasphemy; history has seldom spared the men of reason. Any discussion on nationalism within the Indian context is complete without mentioning Jawaharlal Nehru. Habib refers to Nehru's writings before the independence wherein he spoke unequivocally about the forces "which under the guise of ‘their-culture’ narrows our minds and outlook, and essentially restricts and denies..." rather than widen the mind and the spirit. Habib observes that this kind nationalism, the legacy of the freedom struggle, was challenged by the RSS since the 1930s, and has become a serious threat now. As we celebrate the 69th year of the Indian Constitution, we have to remember that a much inclusive form of nationalism lies at the core of our Constitution. Gopal Gandhi most aptly and crisply sums of the sentiment in the book as ‘India is all Indians and all Indians are India’. Habib opines that what is at stake now is the essence of ‘liberal nationalism, which the nation has nursed through the last century. The book is pretty well presented except a negligible misprint in the content page; there are two chapter ‘VI’s. In jest, perhaps the publishers did not want a chapter XIII, could have followed the British legacy of calling it ‘XII and Half’, a cabin so numbered in the ‘Woodburn Ward’ of PG Hospital, Kolkata during their regime. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What is the essence of Indian nationalism?

A day after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/whatsapp-group-sold-aadhaar-details-for-rs-500-uidai-denies-report-28548">Unique Identification Authority of India</a> (UIDAI) denied that there was any breach of the Aadhaar database, American whistleblower Edward Snowden said on Friday that the Aadhaar database conceived and introduced by the Indian government can also be misused and abused.

Retweeting CBS journalist Zack Whittaker&#39;s response on a BuzzFeed report on the breach of Aadhaar database in India, Snowden said, &quot;It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse.&quot;

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It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. <a href="https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f">https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f</a>
&mdash; Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/949057892069523459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Whittaker had earlier said, &quot;ICYMI. India has a national ID database with the private information of nearly 1.2 billion nationals. It&#39;s reportedly been breached. Admin accounts can be made and access can be sold to the database, reports BuzzFeed.&quot;

The UIDAI on Thursday said the Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure.

It termed The Tribune report titled Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details a case of misreporting.

&quot;There has not been any Aadhaar data breach. The Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure,&quot; the UIDAI said in a statement.

This development has come at a time when the Supreme Court is set to begin the final hearing of petitions challenging the legality of Aadhaar programme based on privacy concerns on January 17.

In August 2017, the Supreme Court held that privacy is a fundamental right under the Constitution of India.

The UIDAI on Thursday said the Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure.

A day after the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) denied that there was any breach of the Aadhaar database, American whistleblower Edward Snowden said on Friday that the Aadhaar database conceived and introduced by the Indian government can also be misused and abused. Retweeting CBS journalist Zack Whittaker's response on a BuzzFeed report on the breach of Aadhaar database in India, Snowden said, "It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse." It is the natural tendency of government to desire perfect records of private lives. History shows that no matter the laws, the result is abuse. https://t.co/7HSQSZ4T3f — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 4, 2018 × Whittaker had earlier said, "ICYMI. India has a national ID database with the private information of nearly 1.2 billion nationals. It's reportedly been breached. Admin accounts can be made and access can be sold to the database, reports BuzzFeed." The UIDAI on Thursday said the Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure. It termed The Tribune report titled Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details a case of misreporting. "There has not been any Aadhaar data breach. The Aadhaar data including biometric information is fully safe and secure," the UIDAI said in a statement. This development has come at a time when the Supreme Court is set to begin the final hearing of petitions challenging the legality of Aadhaar programme based on privacy concerns on January 17. In August 2017, the Supreme Court held that privacy is a fundamental right under the Constitution of India.

Edward Snowden on Aadhaar: 'No matter the laws, the result is abuse'

The Constitution of India also known as the &quot;Supreme law of India&quot;&nbsp;lays down the framework of the political principles and duties of the government institutions.&nbsp;

It establishes constitutional supremacy, overriding parliamentary supremacy.&nbsp;

Adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26,&nbsp;1949, it came into effect on&nbsp;January 26, 1950.

With the adoption of the Constitution, India ceased to be a dominion of the British rule.

The adoption of the Constitution on January 26, 1950, made India a &quot;sovereign democratic and republic&quot;.&nbsp;

However&nbsp;one of the amendments made to the Constitution&nbsp;changed its description&nbsp;from &quot;sovereign, democratic republic &quot; to &quot;sovereign socialist secular democratic republic&quot;.

The Indian Constitution underwent a major amendment during the emergency.

The Congress headed by Indira Gandhi enacted the Forty Second amendment,&nbsp;officially known as The Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976.

The amendment brought changes to almost all parts of the Constitution.&nbsp;

It reduced the power of the Supreme Court and High Court. The political sovereignty was transformed into parliamentary sovereignty.&nbsp;The Prime minister&#39;s office was given all the powers. Parliament got unrestrained power whereas the democratic right of the country was challenged.

However the change from&nbsp;&quot;sovereign, democratic republic&quot;&nbsp;to &quot;sovereign socialist secular democratic republic&quot;, is one of the most controversial changes made to the Indian Constitution.&nbsp;

The words socialist and secular is not going down well with many BJP and Hindutva forces.&nbsp;

The BJP bases its argument on the fact that the amendment was passed without any debate as almost all the opposition MPs had been imprisoned during the introduction of the amendment.&nbsp;

The government on Republic Day in 2015 published an advertisement where the Preamble was without the words &quot;secular&quot; and &quot; socialist&quot;.

The advertisement drew a lot of ire from the opposition.

The&nbsp;Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore then defended the move stating that they advertised the picture of the first Preamble used during the adoption of the Constitution.&nbsp;

While Home Minister Rajnath Singh&nbsp;attacked the Congress saying that the BR Ambedkar had never thought the necessity to incorporate it in the Preamble as these two words were part of the Constitution. It is inbuilt in the Indian system.&nbsp;He also said that the two words were the most misused terms of the Indian Constitution and that there have been instances of tension in the society.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut bluntly stated that the word should be removed because the country belongs to Hindu as quoted by The Hindu.

The Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had also called for a debate on whether &quot;secularism&quot; and &quot; socialism&quot; should be included in the Preamble.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The words socialist and secular is not going down well with many BJP and Hindutva forces

The Constitution of India also known as the "Supreme law of India" lays down the framework of the political principles and duties of the government institutions. It establishes constitutional supremacy, overriding parliamentary supremacy. Adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, it came into effect on January 26, 1950. With the adoption of the Constitution, India ceased to be a dominion of the British rule. The adoption of the Constitution on January 26, 1950, made India a "sovereign democratic and republic". However one of the amendments made to the Constitution changed its description from "sovereign, democratic republic " to "sovereign socialist secular democratic republic". The Indian Constitution underwent a major amendment during the emergency. The Congress headed by Indira Gandhi enacted the Forty Second amendment, officially known as The Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976. The amendment brought changes to almost all parts of the Constitution. It reduced the power of the Supreme Court and High Court. The political sovereignty was transformed into parliamentary sovereignty. The Prime minister's office was given all the powers. Parliament got unrestrained power whereas the democratic right of the country was challenged. However the change from "sovereign, democratic republic" to "sovereign socialist secular democratic republic", is one of the most controversial changes made to the Indian Constitution. The words socialist and secular is not going down well with many BJP and Hindutva forces. The BJP bases its argument on the fact that the amendment was passed without any debate as almost all the opposition MPs had been imprisoned during the introduction of the amendment. The government on Republic Day in 2015 published an advertisement where the Preamble was without the words "secular" and " socialist". The advertisement drew a lot of ire from the opposition. The Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore then defended the move stating that they advertised the picture of the first Preamble used during the adoption of the Constitution. While Home Minister Rajnath Singh attacked the Congress saying that the BR Ambedkar had never thought the necessity to incorporate it in the Preamble as these two words were part of the Constitution. It is inbuilt in the Indian system. He also said that the two words were the most misused terms of the Indian Constitution and that there have been instances of tension in the society. Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut bluntly stated that the word should be removed because the country belongs to Hindu as quoted by The Hindu. The Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had also called for a debate on whether "secularism" and " socialism" should be included in the Preamble.

The 'secular' and 'socialist' Indian Constitution

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed a valedictory event in New Delhi on the occasion of National Law Day.

The prime minister praised the Indian Constitution as being both &quot;as sensitive as it is lively&quot; and&nbsp;as effective as it is accountable.&quot;

PM Modi also said it was not easy to create such a vast historical document that bound so many sects, languages, dialects and people with various beliefs.

&quot;It was not easy to make a historical document (Constitution) which binds a country which has more than a dozen sects, more than 100 languages and more than 1700 dialects and people living in places with various beliefs,&quot; the prime minister said.

He hailed the Constitution for &quot;passing each exam with time&quot; and for proving those who said that it would not be able to meet the challenges that come with time wrong.

&quot;Our Constitution has passed each exam with time. Our Constitution has proved the doubts of all those people wrong who said that the challenges which will come before the country with time, the Constitution will not be able to provide a solution to them,&quot; PM Modi said.

PM Modi also quoted the father of the Indian Constitution BR Ambedkar as saying that the Constitution was &quot;workable, flexible&quot; and could not do any wrong.

&quot;Baba saheb (BR Ambedkar) said that the Constitution is workable, flexible and has the power to unite the nation in times of war and peace. He also said if a wrong is done, it will not be the fault of the Constitution but the institution which is making people abide by the Constitution,&quot; PM Modi said.

The prime minister also called for all Constitutional bodies to come together and strengthen India. He said that the country had unfortunately not been able to remove its internal weaknesses even so many years after Independence. 
 
&quot;India is a young nation. To strengthen it, all the Constitutional bodies will have to come together and work towards it,&quot; PM Modi said, adding, &quot;As members of the same family are we working together to strengthen one another, in support of each other?.&quot;

&quot;Unfortunately we have not been able to remove our internal weaknesses, so many years after independence. We need to think about it at all levels.&quot;

&quot;If we think that coming generations will take all risks and work, then history will not forgive us. We will have to start working now. We may or may not be there but the system which will be brought here will stay,&quot; he said.

The event was also attended by Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Mishra.

The chief justice said India can grow only &quot;where there is political democracy, social democracy and economic democracy&quot;. 
 
The National Law Day was instituted in 2015 to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed a valedictory event in New Delhi on the occasion of National Law Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed a valedictory event in New Delhi on the occasion of National Law Day. The prime minister praised the Indian Constitution as being both "as sensitive as it is lively" and as effective as it is accountable." PM Modi also said it was not easy to create such a vast historical document that bound so many sects, languages, dialects and people with various beliefs. "It was not easy to make a historical document (Constitution) which binds a country which has more than a dozen sects, more than 100 languages and more than 1700 dialects and people living in places with various beliefs," the prime minister said. He hailed the Constitution for "passing each exam with time" and for proving those who said that it would not be able to meet the challenges that come with time wrong. "Our Constitution has passed each exam with time. Our Constitution has proved the doubts of all those people wrong who said that the challenges which will come before the country with time, the Constitution will not be able to provide a solution to them," PM Modi said. PM Modi also quoted the father of the Indian Constitution BR Ambedkar as saying that the Constitution was "workable, flexible" and could not do any wrong. "Baba saheb (BR Ambedkar) said that the Constitution is workable, flexible and has the power to unite the nation in times of war and peace. He also said if a wrong is done, it will not be the fault of the Constitution but the institution which is making people abide by the Constitution," PM Modi said. The prime minister also called for all Constitutional bodies to come together and strengthen India. He said that the country had unfortunately not been able to remove its internal weaknesses even so many years after Independence. "India is a young nation. To strengthen it, all the Constitutional bodies will have to come together and work towards it," PM Modi said, adding, "As members of the same family are we working together to strengthen one another, in support of each other?." "Unfortunately we have not been able to remove our internal weaknesses, so many years after independence. We need to think about it at all levels." "If we think that coming generations will take all risks and work, then history will not forgive us. We will have to start working now. We may or may not be there but the system which will be brought here will stay," he said. The event was also attended by Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Mishra. The chief justice said India can grow only "where there is political democracy, social democracy and economic democracy". The National Law Day was instituted in 2015 to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar.

Have not been able to remove internal weaknesses: PM Modi

As the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-verdict-on-whether-right-to-privacy-a-fundamental-right-today-19404"> Supreme Court gave its verdict on right to privacy</a>, young lawyers turned to social media to spread the word and express their opinion&nbsp;on the topic.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-welcomes-supreme-court-verdict-on-right-to-privacy-19448">They claim that the &quot;fundamental right&quot;</a> of privacy has to become&ldquo;non-negotiable&rdquo;.

Apar Gupta, Kritika Bhardwaj and Prasanna S are assisting senior counsel Shyam Divan, who is representing four privacy petitioners, including Shanta Sinha, the former head of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, and Bezwada Wilson.&nbsp;

Gautam Bhatia is assisting senior lawyer, Arvind Datar, who is arguing for the Election Commission and for privacy as a fundamental right.

These youngsters are determined to revolutionalize how the common man views&nbsp;privacy.

 
Prasanna S

34-year-old&nbsp;Prasanna, as he describes on his Twitter profile, is a coder turned lawyer. He hails from the industrial town of Hosur in Tamil Nadu. He studied technology and software before he became a full-time lawyer. A trained Carnatic singer who is now based out of Delhi, Prasanna believes that his technological background gives him the sense to understand the challenges of civil liberty.

He believes that the public is stuck on the notion&nbsp;that machines make correct choices. This may be the core reason for there being no opposition to Aadhar from the masses.&nbsp;

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This inanity of &quot;privacy not required for the poor&quot; bogey argument has been dealt with very well in paras 154 to 157 of DYC judgment.
&mdash; Prasanna S (@prasanna_s) <a href="https://twitter.com/prasanna_s/status/900627823320195072">August 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Gautam Bhatia

Gautam&#39;s qualifications as a lawyer are praiseworthy. The graduate from the prestigious National Law School, Bengaluru and Rhodes scholar is also a sci-fi geek. The 28-year-old edits the UK-based science-fiction magazine, Strange Horizons. 
 
Gautam actively posts about the issue. He is also the author of Offend, Shock or Disturb: Free Speech Under the Indian Constitution.

He believes that any law on privacy has to be founded on principles of informed consent and specific consent. According to Bhatia, informed consent means the person is aware of what use it&rsquo;s being put to and specific consent means that the authorities must seek consent for each specific act.

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There cannot be a victory for constitutional values as long as islands of personal law are held to be exempt from the Constitution. (13/n)
&mdash; Gautam Bhatia (@gautambhatia88) <a href="https://twitter.com/gautambhatia88/status/899901618765742081">August 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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He pens down his thoughts about literature and poetry of &quot;any and all kinds&quot; on his <a href="https://anenduringromantic.wordpress.com/about/">blog</a>. You can read more about his work <a href="http://www.porterfolio.net/gautambhatia1988">here</a>.

Apar Gupta

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Request: 
1. Focus on the obvious impact in the order 
2. Individual judgements require closer reading 
3. Celebrate but don&#39;t claim victory
&mdash; Apar (@aparatbar) <a href="https://twitter.com/aparatbar/status/900638438252199936">August 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Delhi-based Apar has graduated from Columbia Law School and is an active voice in the right to privacy and data debate in India.&nbsp; 
According to media reports, the 33-year-old claims that government has spent roughly Rs. 11,000 crore on generating Aadhar and are creating an illusion of&nbsp; 
administering efficiently.

 
Kritika Bharadwaj

 
Delhi-based Kritika studied Political Science at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University and did her LLB from the same university&#39;s Faculty of Law. The now 26-year-old went on to Cambridge for her masters in international law.&nbsp; 
But even before her Masters, she had cut her teeth on Aadhaar-related matters and done meticulous research on international laws, biometrics, international practices, protocols and databases in the world. 
Kritika has possessed leadership qualities from the very beginning--she was the president of students&#39; union in LSR and student representative to the faculty of law board in Cambridge.&nbsp;

Meet the lawyers: One Rhodes scholar, another Cambridge alumni, a Columbia graduate and a coder turned geek

As the Supreme Court gave its verdict on right to privacy, young lawyers turned to social media to spread the word and express their opinion on the topic. They claim that the "fundamental right" of privacy has to become“non-negotiable”. Apar Gupta, Kritika Bhardwaj and Prasanna S are assisting senior counsel Shyam Divan, who is representing four privacy petitioners, including Shanta Sinha, the former head of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, and Bezwada Wilson. Gautam Bhatia is assisting senior lawyer, Arvind Datar, who is arguing for the Election Commission and for privacy as a fundamental right. These youngsters are determined to revolutionalize how the common man views privacy. Prasanna S 34-year-old Prasanna, as he describes on his Twitter profile, is a coder turned lawyer. He hails from the industrial town of Hosur in Tamil Nadu. He studied technology and software before he became a full-time lawyer. A trained Carnatic singer who is now based out of Delhi, Prasanna believes that his technological background gives him the sense to understand the challenges of civil liberty. He believes that the public is stuck on the notion that machines make correct choices. This may be the core reason for there being no opposition to Aadhar from the masses. This inanity of "privacy not required for the poor" bogey argument has been dealt with very well in paras 154 to 157 of DYC judgment. — Prasanna S (@prasanna_s) August 24, 2017 × Gautam Bhatia Gautam's qualifications as a lawyer are praiseworthy. The graduate from the prestigious National Law School, Bengaluru and Rhodes scholar is also a sci-fi geek. The 28-year-old edits the UK-based science-fiction magazine, Strange Horizons. Gautam actively posts about the issue. He is also the author of Offend, Shock or Disturb: Free Speech Under the Indian Constitution. He believes that any law on privacy has to be founded on principles of informed consent and specific consent. According to Bhatia, informed consent means the person is aware of what use it’s being put to and specific consent means that the authorities must seek consent for each specific act. There cannot be a victory for constitutional values as long as islands of personal law are held to be exempt from the Constitution. (13/n) — Gautam Bhatia (@gautambhatia88) August 22, 2017 × He pens down his thoughts about literature and poetry of "any and all kinds" on his blog. You can read more about his work here. Apar Gupta Request: 1. Focus on the obvious impact in the order 2. Individual judgements require closer reading 3. Celebrate but don't claim victory — Apar (@aparatbar) August 24, 2017 × Delhi-based Apar has graduated from Columbia Law School and is an active voice in the right to privacy and data debate in India. According to media reports, the 33-year-old claims that government has spent roughly Rs. 11,000 crore on generating Aadhar and are creating an illusion of administering efficiently. Kritika Bharadwaj Delhi-based Kritika studied Political Science at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University and did her LLB from the same university's Faculty of Law. The now 26-year-old went on to Cambridge for her masters in international law. But even before her Masters, she had cut her teeth on Aadhaar-related matters and done meticulous research on international laws, biometrics, international practices, protocols and databases in the world. Kritika has possessed leadership qualities from the very beginning--she was the president of students' union in LSR and student representative to the faculty of law board in Cambridge.

Right to privacy: Young petitioners fight to make a difference