1. Supreme Court Questions Co-WIN Registration Mandate for Vaccination
The Supreme Court expressed its concern over the mandatory requirement of registration in the Co-WIN Application for getting a slot of COVID vaccination, as a large portion of the Indian population is deprived of access to the internet and smartphones. This was observed by a bench comprising of Justices DY Chandrachud, L Nageswara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat while hearing the suo-moto case on Covid related issues, titled as In Re Distribution of Essential Services and Supplies During Pandemic.
2. Complete Re-Appointment Process of NCLT/NCLAT Members Within Two Months: SC to Centre
A three-judge bench of the Apex Court directed the Central Government to complete the process of reappointment of members of NCLT and NCLAT at the earliest and not later than two months. The bench comprising of Justice Nageswara Rao, Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Ravindra Bhat issued the same after being informed by the Attorney General that the process has already been initiated by them as they have written to the Chief Justice of India regarding the appointment of a selection committee.
3. SC Stays Delhi HC Judgment Which Held that IGST Imposition on Oxygen Concentrators Imported by Individuals as Unconstitutional
A vacation bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah, while hearing an SLP filed by the Ministry of Finance against the High Court of Delhi, stayed the Delhi HC judgment which declared that the imposition of IGST for oxygen concentrators by individuals for personal use as constitutional.
4. Prisoners’ Application for Early Release U/s 432, 433A CrPC Must be Considered: SC
The Supreme Court vacation bench comprising of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose clarified that the constitution of High-Powered Committees in State Governments to de-congest prisons would not affect remission boards considering the applications for remission of prisoners under Section 432 and 433A of the Criminal Procedure Code.
5. SC Seeks Details of PM CARES Scheme for Children Orphaned due to COVID-19
The Supreme Court asked the Centre to provide the details of the PM CARES for children scheme announced by the PM for the benefit of children orphaned due to COVID-19. The Court observed that Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati has undertaken to file details of the scheme, including the identification of beneficiaries and the mechanism for monitoring it.
6. Private Unaided Educational Institutions Discharge Public Function Under RTE Act; Open to Writ Jurisdiction: Calcutta HC
The High Court of Calcutta held that private unaided educational institutions discharge public function under the Right to Education Act and are therefore amenable to the Court’s writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. The Single judge bench comprising of Justice Shekhar B Saraf also observed that such a public duty stands imposed in terms of Article 21A also. The observations were made in the case titled Bineeta Patnaik Padhi v. Union of India & Ors.
7. Google claims Protection Against IT Rules 2021 Before Delhi HC; States, “We are a search engine, not a social media intermediary.”
Google LLC moved the High Court of Delhi seeking interim protection against its declaration as a “Social Media Intermediary” under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Ethics Code) Rules 2021.
8. BCI Constitutes Expert Committee to Decide Evaluation Method for Law Students in Intermediate Semesters
The Bar Council of India has constituted a High-Level Expert Committee headed by Justice Govind Mathur and comprising of 12-members to decide the method of evaluation of law students in intermediate semesters amid the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The High Court of Delhi has also taken notice of the same and has noted that the Expert Committee would furnish its report within a week to the BCI, whereupon the BCI would take the final decision.
9. Justice Arun Mishra Takes Over as NHRC Chairman
Former Supreme Court judge, Justice Arun Kumar Mishra, took over as the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission. Justice Arun Mishra was appointed judge of MP High Court in 1999, after which he served as Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court and Calcutta High court before being elevated to the Apex Court in the year 2014. He had retired from the Supreme Court in September 2020.
10. Citizen has Right to Criticize Government as Long as He Does Not Incite People to Violence: SC
The Supreme Court, while quashing the sedition case against journalist Vinod Dua, has observed that a citizen has a right to criticize or comment upon the measures taken by the Government and its functionaries, as long as he does not incite people to violence against the Government or to create public disorder.
