Supreme Court Observer

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO's must-reads for the day: 👨🏻‍⚖8 working days stand between Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and his August 26th retirement. CJI Ramana's tenure has been notable in the absence of significant Judgments on crucial issues pending before Constitution Benches. In the next 8 days, the Chief is unlikely to be able to answer any of the numerous constitutional questions that have piled up before the Court in his tenure. What are these cases that continue to gather dust? https://bit.ly/3zK49QG ⏭️ As retirements mount at the SC, news on fresh appointments is expected from the Collegium. A brief spell of transparency from the Collegium in 2018-19 revealed some trends in the factors considered while appointing SC Judges. Read SCO's data analysis to find out how merit, seniority, integrity, regional representation and diversity affect SC appointments. https://bit.ly/3Qmuyda 💼 We're hiring! If you’d like to join SCO and produce crisp, accessible journalism on the Supreme Court, apply to work with us as a Senior Associate Editor, Associate Editor, Court Reporter, or Communications Associate! Visit our Careers Page for more. (https://bit.ly/3rQtnZj)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: 👨‍⚖ Yesterday, Justice U.U. Lalit was appointed as the 49th Chief Justice of India. He will take over as CJI on August 27th following CJI Ramana’s retirement. Justice Lalit was elevated to the SC directly from the Bar on August 13th, 2014 and will serve as the Chief Justice of India for 2.5 months. Read SCO’s profile of Justice Lalit here: (https://bit.ly/3AaBapo) 🩺 On August 10th, a 3-Judge Bench of the SC, led by Justice U.U. Lalit, granted bail to activist Varavara Rao on medical grounds. Mr. Rao, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, was arrested along with four other activists under the controversial Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 on August 28th, 2018. In September 2018, a challenge was filed alleging that the arrests were arbitrarily made to curb dissent. However, the SC in a 2:1 split decision upheld the arrests of the five activists and allowed the investigation to continue. Read more on SCO’s case page: (https://bit.ly/3QhoXVt) 🗓️ The SC returned to full-functioning in July after a 6-week long summer break. The month was marked with a flurry of activity with the Court delivering the PMLA Judgment, adjudicating the Maharashtra political crisis and granting bail to journalist Mohd. Zubair, among other notable events. SCO recaps the highlights of July at the Court: (https://bit.ly/3SE719f)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: 💰 Justice Khanwilkar authored the Judgment upholding the Constitutionality of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 on July 27th, two days before he retired as an SC Judge. The Court upheld the onerous bail conditions and the Enforcement Directorate's wide investigative powers. SCO Shorts explains the SC's Judgment in brief. (https://bit.ly/3bJEpe7). 👨🏾‍⚖️ This marked a flurry of decisions Justice Khanwilkar authored before he retired on July 29th. Notably, he upheld all the challenged provisions in the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020 in April, and was part of the Bench that dismissed Zakia Jafri’s plea for further investigation into the 2002 Gujarat Riots. SCO’s profile lists other crucial Judgments delivered by Justice Khanwilkar. (https://bit.ly/3zIVxbR) 📖 The Union often appoints retired Judges to government offices. For instance, in June 2021, Justice Arun Mishra was appointed as the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission following his retirement in September 2020. The framers of the Constitution had attempted to ensure that retired Judges could not be appointed to an executive office. They feared that Judges would be swayed to deliver judgments favourable to the Union government, in anticipation of a post-retirement government role. Read more about why the provision never came to be. (https://bit.ly/3BRP0ON).

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: 👨🏻‍⚖️ Yesterday, the Delhi High Court adjourned activist Umar Khalid’s bail hearing to August 22nd, as Justice Bhatnagar was on leave. Khalid has been in judicial custody awaiting trial for nearly two years now. On March 24th 2022, after eight months of hearings, a Delhi Sessions Court denied bail to Umar Khalid. On April 22nd 2022, Khalid appealed the Session Court’s Order before the Delhi High Court. Follow SCO’s coverage of Khalid’s bail hearings here (https://bit.ly/3JEf2qA). 🙏🏽 Justices U.U. Lalit and Ravindra Bhat heard a petition seeking that Hindus be declared as minorities in some states, based on district-wise data. The Bench commented that the petition was untenable—a previous Bench of the Supreme Court has already held that State-wise data would have to be considered instead, when identifying and declaring minorities. However, the Bench tagged this petition with an existing case before the Court, which seeks the declaration of Hindus as minorities in nine states. SCO’s Case Background explains the petition seeking minority status to Hindus (https://bit.ly/3A7QtPF) 💼 We're hiring! If you’d like to join SCO and produce crisp, accessible journalism on the Supreme Court, apply to work with us as a Senior Associate Editor, Associate Editor, Court Reporter, or Communications Associate! Visit our Careers Page for more. (https://bit.ly/3rQtnZj)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: 🗳️ Today, the Supreme Court is expected to decide whether a Constitution Bench is necessary to interpret the application of defection law in the Maharashtra political crisis. Last week, the Election Commission made an appearance at the SC in the clash between the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena. The Shinde faction claimed that they commanded the majority in the legislative assembly and were therefore the ‘real’ Shiv Sena. However, the EC drew a distinction between a political party and a legislature party, and said they needed to investigate the claim. SCO reported on the proceedings: (https://bit.ly/3JBUJtW) 🖥️ Last week, the Pegasus Technical Committee submitted its report to the Supreme Court. The Committee, set up by the SC, was investigating allegations against the Union government, of using the Pegasus Spyware to snoop on its own citizens. The Committee heard 13 depositions by various persons in the course of their investigation. SCO reported on the depositions: (https://bit.ly/3P5w1mM) 📧 Have you subscribed to SCO Desk Briefs yet? Click on the link to receive updates on the Supreme Court straight to your inbox! (https://bit.ly/3PlTBME)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: ⛓️ On August 2nd, Teesta Setlavad and R.B. Sreekumar approached the Gujarat HC for bail after an Ahmedabad Sessions Court denied their bail application on July 30th. The Sessions Court stated that it appeared that Zakia Jafri had been used as a tool to level allegations against then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi. Further, it rejected the bail application stating ‘There is no need to give detail and elaborate reasons’. Other bail applicants have been facing issues when seeking relief from lower courts. SCO reported on bail in lower courts following the rejection of Sharjeel Imam’s bail application (https://bit.ly/3Jzobkc). 👨🏾‍⚖️ Ms. Setalvad and Mr. Sreekumar were arrested on June 25th, 2022, a day after the SC delivered its Judgment dismissing Zakia Jafri’s challenge to the finds of the Special Investigation Team for the 2002 Gujarat riots. The FIR for their arrest heavily relied on the Judgment which stated that Ms. Setalvad and Mr. Sreekumar were pursuing an ‘ulterior design’ through Mrs. Jafri’s case. Read SCO’s summary of the Judgment. (https://bit.ly/3A0mFUZ) 🏥 Yesterday, Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and J.B. Pardiwala indicated that the Supreme Court may allow unmarried women to terminate pregnancies up to 24-weeks as per the same conditions provided for married women under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. They stated that the current prohibition violates a woman's bodily autonomy. The challenge to select provisions of the MTP Act is still pending before the SC. Read SCO’s Case Background. (https://bit.ly/3zCvkMb)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: 👨🏻‍⚖️ Yesterday, Chief Justice N.V. Ramana recommended Justice U.U. Lalit to the Union Government as the next Chief Justice of India. CJI Ramana's tenure ends on August 26th, 2022. If appointed Justice Lalit will serve as CJI for just 2.5 months before retiring on November 8th, 2022. Read SCO’s profile of Justice Lalit here (https://bit.ly/3QjeJ6S). 🪑 A three-Judge Bench comprising Chief Justice Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli heard the challenge to the Maharashtra disqualification proceedings yesterday. The Bench stated that it would decide by Monday whether the case needed to be referred to to a 5-judge Constitution Bench. The Court will decide how the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which governs defection from political parties, will apply to the tussle between the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena. SCO’s report on the hearing explains the issues discussed in Court yesterday (https://bit.ly/3zWcJfd). 📧 Have you subscribed to SCO Desk Briefs yet? Click on the link to receive updates on the Supreme Court straight to your inbox! (https://bit.ly/3PlTBME)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: ‼️ Yesterday, 17 Opposition parties expressed ‘deep apprehensions’ about the implications of the SC’s Money Laundering Judgement, and demanded a review. Opposition parties have sharply cricised the week old Judgment claiming that the 'dangerous verdict' will have 'far-reaching implications for India's democracy'. What were the challenges to the PMLA and what did the Judgment hold? SCO reports: (https://bit.ly/3JszM4w) 👨‍⚖ On Tuesday, the Ministry of Law and Justice urged CJI N.V. Ramana to initiate the process of recommending his successor. Justice Ramana is set to retire from office on August 26th after serving as the Chief Justice of India for 15 months. If the seniority principle is followed, Justice U.U. Lalit is next in line to be CJI. SCO reported on the nine next Chief Justices of India: (https://bit.ly/3OQnFzq) 🗓️ Justice Ramana has served as an SC Judge for 8 years, an especially long tenure compared to his contemporaries. SC Judges in the past have opined that Judges at the highest Court must serve for at least 7-8 years to be able to contribute meaningfully on the Bench. SCO calculated the average tenures of SC Judges from 1950 and reported its findings: (https://bit.ly/3oQ0Hh5)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO's must-reads for the day: 📱 Yesterday, the Pegasus Technical Committee submitted their report to the SC. The Court constituted the Committee on October 27th, 2021 to investigate whether the Union government had used the Pegasus spyware to illegally conduct surveillance on journalists, activists, judges and political officials. The Committee conducted depositions and took statements from 13 petitioners and experts between December 10th, 2021, and February 14th, 2022. The depositions were made publicly available on the Committee’s website. SCO covered the six most important depositions and noted the key takeaways from the rest. (https://bit.ly/3d0n0hq) 🕌 Yesterday, CJI Ramana said that a Bench would be constituted to hear the challenges to the Karnataka High Court’s Judgment upholding the Hijab ban. The case has been pending since the Judgment was delivered on March 15th, 2022, with the first petitions challenging it being filed at the SC on the same day. The challenge has already been mentioned before the Court several times, including on July 13th when CJI Ramana agreed to list the case the following week. Read SCOs Case Background for comprehensive reports on he Hight Court and Supreme Court hearings. (https://bit.ly/3zpZYbA) 👨🏾‍⚖️ On July 29th the Delhi High Court issued notice to the Delhi police in Sharjeel Imam’s appeal against the Delhi Sessions Court Order rejecting his bail application. Mr. Imam has been charged with sedition and a host of other offences following his speeches at Jamia Millia and Aligarh University. He had initially applied for bail citing the SC’s May 11th Order in the challenge to the constitutionality of sedition law, where the Court had directed all pending trials related to sedition to be halted while the Union government re-examines the law. SCO analysed the rejection of Mr. Imam’s bail application in light of the SC's recent decisions on bail and sedition. (https://bit.ly/3OT13OA)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO's must-reads for the day: 👮🏽‍♂️ Today, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the challenge to the appointment of Mr. Rakesh Asthana as the Police Commissioner of Delhi. Mr. Asthana was set to retire on July 31st 2021. However, four days before his retirement the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet relaxed certain provisions of the All India Service (Death cum Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958 to extend his tenure by one year as a special case in ‘public interest’. The extension was challenged on grounds that it violated previous Judgments of the SC that upheld appointment procedures meant to curb political favouritism. Read SCO’s case background to know more (https://bit.ly/3bmgUYl). 🚔 The petition has seen numerous delays before the Supreme Court. Mr. Asthana’s extended tenure has since ended on July 31st, 2022. Yesterday, Mr. Sanjay Arora was appointed as Police Commissioner of Delhi. 📈 On July 31st, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul (https://bit.ly/3Q4608A), speaking at the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet organised by the National Legal Services Authority at New Delhi, emphasised that tools available in civil and criminal law must be utilised to their fullest to ensure that every case does not makes it way to the Supreme Court. If not, the already worrying pendency numbers will grow to a more perilous size. SCO records the rapidly growing pendency problem in recent years, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic (https://bit.ly/3Q4608A).

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO's must-reads for the day: 👨🏻‍⚖CJI Ramana begins his final month at the Supreme Court today. Back in April, SCO reviewed the highlights of CJI Ramana's first year as Chief Justice. Read to find out his impact on the Court's administration and Judgments. (https://bit.ly/3SgDEth) 🗃️ In addition to a COVID-stricken Court, CJI Ramana inherited a long list of pending cases of national significance from his predecessor. This list has only grown longer during his tenure. Resolution is unlikely in the 25 days before he retires. What cases will CJI Ramana pass on to his successor? (https://bit.ly/3zK49QG) ❔ CJI Ramana's tenure has been one of notable absences. Most concerning-The Chief is yet to constitute a single Constitution Bench. Why are Constitution Benches crucial for the Court? Will CJI Ramana use his final weeks to hear a case he referred to a Constitution Bench-the tussle between the Delhi and Union governments for control over Delhi's civil servants? (https://bit.ly/3cVCCmy)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: 🪖 On July 29th 2022, Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt, said that revision of pension for ex-servicemen under the One Rank One Pension scheme is underway. The scheme, which was announced in 2015, faced stiff opposition from retired armed forces personnel who claimed it was arbitrary and discriminatory. What did the challenges to the scheme entail? And how did the SC decide the matter? SCO Shorts recaps: (https://bit.ly/3oHiPdg) 🗳️ Yesterday, the SC ordered the Maharashtra State Election Commission not to re-notify elections in 367 local bodies. The Court threatened to initiate contempt of court proceedings if the State attempted to introduce OBC reservations as the election process had already begun in these bodies. Local body elections in Maharashtra have been delayed for over a year despite repeated Orders from the SC. SCO reported on the Court’s previous Order calling for immediate elections: (https://bit.ly/3bfxYzb) 🖥️ An RTI query filed by Software Freedom Legal Central revealed that 1,482 websites were blocked from January to March 2022 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Rule 16 of the IT Rules allows the government to block any URL without providing substantial information in the interest of national security. Several challenges have been filed against the IT Rules across various High Courts. The Union Government has filed a petition to transfer all of these challenges to the SC. SCO reports on the case: (https://bit.ly/3zgfaYA)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: 📑 Today, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar will retire after serving as an SC Judge for over six years. SCO's Judge profile traces his career before and at the Supreme Court (https://bit.ly/3S40W5T). During his tenure, Justice Khanwilkar wrote a number of impactful Judgments, especially towards the end of his career. The most recent judgments include: 1) Zakia Jafri’s petition for further investigation into the Gujarat Riots (https://bit.ly/3BlzAlG) 2) Challenge to the 2020 Amendment to the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act, 2010 (https://bit.ly/3BsXjjR) 3) Challenge to the wide investigatory powers of the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. (https://bit.ly/3BsXjjR) SCO covered the six most notable Judgments he delivered during his tenure: (https://bit.ly/3vnCdzr) 📈 Justice Khanwilkar authored a total of 226 Judgments during his tenure at a rate of 43 Judgments per year. Only three sitting Judges have authored more decisions. Justice Khanwilkar’s yearly average greatly exceeds that of all sitting judges. SCO tracked his tenure in numbers: (https://bit.ly/3PLxkbK)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: 💰 On July 27th 2022, a Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar delivered the much awaited Judgment on the challenges to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The decision, which upheld all the challenged provisions, brings 80 petitions challenging the wide investigatory powers of the Enforcement Directorate to a close. SCO's coverage tells you everything you need to know: (https://bit.ly/3PK9U6K) 🤝 Yesterday, CJI Ramana inaugurated the front office of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee. The SCLSC plays a key role in ensuring access to justice by providing free legal services to disadvantaged litigants at the SC. In 2020, a total of 1907 applicants approached the SCLSC seeking legal aid. How many applicants did the Committee serve? SCO reports: (https://bit.ly/3J7tOpG) 💻 The Delhi HC granted the Delhi Police 4 weeks to respond to AltNews co-founder Mohd. Zubair’s petition seeking the return of his devices and documents which were seized in the investigation against him. These developments come mere days after the SC granted bail to Mr. Zubair and protected him from the ‘vicious cycle of the criminal process’. Find out more about the allegations against Mr. Zubair and the Court’s decision on SCO’s Desk: (https://bit.ly/3czJc1K)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO's must-reads of the day. 💸 The SC will deliver a much-anticipated Judgment today dealing with over 100 petitions challenging the wide powers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. This Judgment will be Justice Khanwilkar's big closing act at the Court before he retires on Friday. What is the ED? Why will today's Judgment be crucial? Dive into SCO's newsletter to find out. (https://bit.ly/3Ox2MJv) 👨🏻‍⚖Justices Khanwilkar, Maheshwari and Ravikumar heard a litany of advocates representing the challenge to the PMLA in February-March 2022. The petitioners, many of whom are prominent opposition party members accused of money laundering, argued that the Act reduces the rights of the accused to a 'vanishing point'. The Union advanced a simple defense-money laundering is a heinous transnational crime and only strict laws can combat it. SCO simplified our court-side reporting of all 22 days of hearings into an Arguments Matrix. (https://bit.ly/3PBut4V) 💱 The Union government informed the Lok Sabha yesterday that the Home Ministry cancelled FCRA licenses for over 1800 NGOs in the last 3 years. FCRA licenses enable NGOs to receive and use foreign donations. A Bench led by Justice Khanwilkar, upheld the Union's most recent amendments to the FCRA process in April. Read SCO in conversation with social impact scholars and lawyers active in the social sector to understand how the tightening grip on foreign funds affects NGOs. (https://bit.ly/3zcyZjn)

☀️Good morning! Here are SCO's must-reads for the day: 🗳 Yesterday, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena filed a petition before the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on Election Commission proceedings, which will decide which faction of the Shiv Sena is the ‘real’ one. Last week, the SC was hearing the challenge to the disqualification proceedings against the 13 rebel MLAs led by the Mr. Eknath Shinde. The Bench stated that the issues of the case may require the deliberation of a Constitution Bench. Read SCO’s report on the key concerns raised by the parties and the Court (https://bit.ly/3veU3og). 👨🏻‍⚖️ On Saturday, the Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat rejected the bail application filed by Mr. Sharjeel Imam, who has been charged with sedition along with other offences for his speeches during the CAA-NRC protests. Imam submitted that the Supreme Court on May 11th, 2022 passed an Order giving time for the Union Government to revise sedition law under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Meanwhile, all trials under Section 124A would be temporarily suspended. Last week, however, the Sessions Court rejected his bail application based on other charges against Imam. The SC’s Order of sedition did not apply here. SCO provides access to Court documents and petitions on its Case pages. Read the SC’s order here (https://bit.ly/3vC3Cy3). 🎤 The Supreme Court had given the Union government time till the third week of July 2022 to review Section 124A. The Court is yet to list the matter. SCO’s case page explains the challenge and reports on the hearings so far (https://bit.ly/3zx4sOK).https://bit.ly/3veU3o

☀️Good morning! Here are SCO's must-reads for the day: 🗞️ On July 20th the SC granted bail to Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of AltNews, following his arrest in June over tweets he put out. Mr. Zubair was charged with causing public nuisance, criminal conspiracy and inciting unlawful assembly. The Court while granting bail, said the power of arrest must be used ‘sparingly’ and refused to entertain the Union’s request to restrict him from tweeting. To find a full account of the hearing, read SCO’s report. (https://bit.ly/3PyHRH1) 📈 On July 21st, Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju while addressing Parliament stated that there were no plans to increase the retirement age of SC Judges. Currently, regardless of when they are appointed, SC Judges must retire once they turn 65-years old. Recently, former SC Justice Nageswara Rao, during his farewell speech, expressed his belief that the retirement age should be increased so that Judges can serve for atleast 7-8 years at the SC. SCO has charted the average retirement age of SC Judges since 1950. (https://bit.ly/3S031Qf) 👩🏾‍⚖️ On July 23rd Justice Ravindra Bhat addressed a conference on ‘Women in Power & Decision Making’ organised by the Progress, Harmony, Development Chamber of Commerce. He spoke about how patriarchy in Indian society can stall a woman’s career. He used the Indian Judiciary as an example to highlight the need for meaningful gender representation in the professional sphere. SCO sheds light on the state of gender representation in the judiciary. (https://bit.ly/3PPQzR1)

On October 27th 2021, the Supreme Court issued an Order constituting a Technical Committee to investigate the allegations that the Union Government had used the Pegasus spyware to spy on citizens. (https://bit.ly/3PAuZAw) Between December 2021 and February 2022, 13 journalists and cyber security experts deposed before the Supreme Court’s Pegasus Technical Committee. Interestingly, the Technical Committee recorded each deposition and uploaded the footage to pegasus-india-investigation.in, making it accessible to all. Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP, John Brittas, warned that the Pegasus story was ‘just the tip of the iceberg’ of illegal surveillance in India. Read SCO’s detailed report of his deposition (https://bit.ly/3opQms2) Professor Sandeep Shukla explained to the Committee the ‘insidious’ workings of the spyware and its ability to ‘strike at the heart’ of the Right to Privacy. SCO’s report explains his submissions before the Committee. (https://bit.ly/3olRNI2) SCO reported on the key take aways from each of the 13 depositions in a unique compilation. (https://bit.ly/3PwA9NC) While the Technical Committee seems to attempt to be transparent, there have been no recent updates on the other components of the Committee’s investigation. After nine months, the Technical Committee has not given any official indication on the completion of its report, or the nature of its findings so far. Read SCO’s Pegasus Case Background to learn about the story so far. (https://bit.ly/3aV1udC)

☀️Good morning! Here are SCO's must-reads for the day. 🛕On July 21st, a 3-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court decided against dismissing the Gyanvapi Mosque Management committee's appeal. The appeal challenges the District Court's decision to create a Comission to enquire into the origins of the mosque. Read a court-side report of the hearing here. (https://bit.ly/3OrxdR5) 🤰The Court also allowed an unmarried woman to abort a 24-month pregnancy, subject to medical examination stating the abortion will not put her at risk. The Court highlighted that abortion cannot be denied to unmarried women. Challenges to the constitutionality of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 remain pending at the SC since 2019. Visit SCO's case archive for details and key documents in the case. (https://bit.ly/3ojRNsb) 🗃️Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, while addressing questions in the Rajya Sabha on July 21st, said that there are currently 72,000 cases pending at the Supreme Court. What drives this pendency? Are too many new cases being filed? Is the SC disposing of fewer cases? Read SCO's interactive analysis of pendency in 2021 to find out. (https://bit.ly/3B5vE8w)

☀️ Good morning! Here are SCO’s must reads of the day: 🪖 On July 20th 2022, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai announced 10% reservation of posts in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFS) and Assam Rifles for ex-Agniveers. The Agnipath scheme recruits candidates for a 4-year service period and the Union has stated that candidates will receive an easier path to job recruitment in many sectors, including security services. However, the scheme does not include pension benefits and was met with widespread protests across several states. Three separate PILs have been filed in the SC challenging the constitutional validity of the Scheme as well as a plea to constitute an SIT to investigate the violent protests. What are the questions placed before SC in the Agnipath challenges? SCO reports on the case: (https://bit.ly/3B4MAMb) 📃 Yesterday, a Bench led by CJI Ramana said that the petitions filed by the Shiv Sena and its rebel MLAs raised many constitutional questions requiring the consideration of a larger Bench. The SC refused to interfere in the Maharashtra political crisis that led to the fall of the Uddhav Thackeray led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. SCO reports on Court’s stance on the Governor’s call for a floor test following the defection of 12 Shiv Sena MLAs: (https://bit.ly/3aWBdLF) 📧 Have you subscribed to SCO Desk Briefs yet? Click on the link to receive updates on the Supreme Court straight to your inbox! (https://bit.ly/3PlTBME)