Aadhaar, 35A, BCCI and more: Significant day for the SC
What's the story
The SC has had a year of landmark judgements. In 2017, it abolished the widely criticized triple talaq practice and declared the right to privacy is fundamental. Today is another significant day in the apex court's history with hearings on several high-profile cases lined up. The cases are related to the government (Aadhaar), individual rights (Kerala love jihad), sports (BCCI reforms) and more.
Aadhaar
West Bengal challenges Centre's decision to make Aadhaar mandatory
The WB government has challenged the Centre's decision of making Aadhaar mandatory for people to access social welfare benefits. There are also petitions in the SC against the compulsory linking of Aadhaar to other services, like mobile phone numbers. Last week, the Centre had extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar to government schemes till March 31, 2018, for those who don't have Aadhaar.
Article 35A
NGO wants Article 35A repealed from Jammu and Kashmir
An NGO, 'We the Citizens', has challenged Article 35A that empowers the J&K government to define permanent residents of the state and provides special rights to them. According to the NGO, Article 35A and Article 370 discriminate against citizens from the rest of India. A bench led by CJI Dipak Misra will hear the case on repealing the controversial clause.
Love jihad
Muslim man challenges annulment of his 'love jihad' marriage
The SC will hear a petition by a Muslim man to overturn a Kerala HC ruling, which annulled its marriage to a Hindu-turned-Muslim woman. The HC had noted 24-year-old Hadiya had been indoctrinated "by persons whose identities haven't been ascertained", including some linked to IS. CJI Misra had questioned its ruling on what has come to be known as the Kerala 'love jihad' case.
Student safety
Petition demands stringent safety guidelines for schools
CJI Misra will lead a bench to hear petitions demanding strict safety guidelines for private schools. The issue gained major attention after an eight-year-old boy was found murdered in the washroom of a reputed Gurugram school. Several reports have also emerged recently about sexual assault cases in schools across India, often by school staff. Parents had demanded schools conduct thorough background checks on staff.
BCCI
SC to pass directions to BCCI on reforms
A special bench led by CJI Misra will conduct a hearing on the Lodha Panel's recommendations on reforms to the BCCI, one of the world's richest sports bodies. Initially, the BCCI had decided not to accept its key recommendations; last week, it submitted a draft constitution. The SC will likely pass necessary directions based on the report of the court-appointed committee of administrators.
Unitech
Sanjay Chandra will inform the SC about his bail
Unitech promoter Sanjay Chandra, who duped investors of over Rs. 350cr, is likely to inform the SC when he will deposit his Rs. 1,000cr bail. In August, he had promised he would repay homebuyers within three months and requested bail. The case against Unitech started in July'15 when people complained they had paid lakhs for flats but hadn't received them in four years.