Delhi High Court pushes to end India's religion-based personal laws, and enforce Uniform Civil Code
Delhi High Court has asked the Indian government to legislate a uniform personal law to govern all citizens regardless of their religion — a move Christians and Muslims have been opposing for decades.
Justice Prathiba M. Singh said on July 9 that the constitution promulgated in 1950 expressed a hope that the state should secure for its citizens a uniform civil code. It “ought not to remain a mere hope," she said.
India currently has religion-based personal laws to govern marriage, divorce and succession respecting the customs and practices of various religions.
Those who oppose a common civil code, which includes Christian and Muslim religious leaders, say a unified personal code would threaten religious diversity in a country of 1.3 billion people following various religions.
But Justice Singh said India’s Supreme Court, the top court in the country, in 1985 had directed the federal government to take steps toward a uniform personal law. More than three decades later, “it is unclear as to what steps have been taken in this regard till date,” she said.
Her observations came while hearing a petition questioning the applicability of the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 in respect to a couple belonging to the Meenas caste group, who are dominant in Rajasthan and some northern states.
The applicant's husband argued that the law does not apply to them as they are members of a government-notified tribe in Rajasthan.
Justice Singh said Indian courts have been repeatedly confronted with conflicts arising out of personal laws. Persons of various communities, castes and religions who forge marital bonds struggle with such conflicts, she noted.
A uniform civil code can safeguard and protect personal rights and end citizens’ struggles that arise out of “conflicts and contradictions in various personal laws,” the judge said.
Nepal gets new Prime Minister in veteran Deuba
New Delhi: Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday was sworn in as the country's new Prime Minister for a record fifth time on Tuesday, July 13 late evening after the Supreme Court had overturned the presidential order of dissolution of Parliament.
Deuba’s appointment ends KP Sharma Oli’s three-and-a-half-year-long stint as the prime minister of the Himalayan nation marred by several controversies and a few 'anti-India' stances.
The 75-year-old veteran politician took the oath of office and secrecy from President Bidya Devi Bhandari during a swearing-in ceremony here.
The swearing in ceremony was however delayed by over two hours after Deuba flagged a controversyin the presidential communique.
The 'technical lapse' in the order was later corrected by the Office of the President and clearly mentioned that Deuba was appointed prime minister as per article 76 (5) of the constitution.
The new PM Deuba now has to secure a vote of confidence in the restored House by August 12, as per Article 76 (6) of the constitution, Nepali officials said.
On Tuesday morning, senior BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy tweeted saying, "India should right away tell the new Nepali PM designate (Mr Deuba) that he must disown all the outgoing Nepal PM's (Oli's) anti India postures on Indian territory, Bhagvan Ram etc., otherwise India cannot support Nepal".
Oli had triggered a rather unnecessary row when he claimed that Bhagwan Ram was born in Nepal and not Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh India. The Nepali Congress had then slammed Oli and had said that he had "lost the moral and political basis to govern".
Effigies of Oli were burned at many places in Nepal and also in the Braj region in India and demands were raised to end diplomatic ties with Nepal.
K P Sharma Oli had allegedly also fallen into a 'honey trap' and at times grew close to China.
On May 20, Nepal government released a 'new map' showing some areas such as Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani as part of its territory. India had rejected outright Nepal Parliament's move on passing of Constitutional Amendment Billthat approved the new and the controversial new map.
"This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable,"
the then MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava had said.
Nepal and India share a 1,800 km open border.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, July 13, a crucial virtual meeting with all Chief Ministers of northeastern states and called for urgent steps in four states where Covid19 cases have seen sharp rise in recent times.
The meeting assumes significance as more than three out of every five districts that reported a test positivity rate of more than 10 per cent over the past week are in the northeast.
Around 80 per cent of the Covid-19 cases in India at the moment are being witnessed in 90 districts across
India and 14 of them are in the northeast,
"....its true four states need to improve, but others have handled the crisis well with all sensitivity," the Prime
Minister said at the virtual meeting also attended by Home Minister Amit Shah.
The national active caseload has lately declined to 4.32 lakh.
Data tracked by the Union Health Ministry showed that of the 58 districts that reported
a positivity rate higher than 10 per cent between July 5 and July 11, altogether 37 of them
are in the northeast.
"The number of Covid19 cases is rising. We need to take strict action to curb the situation at the
micro level," he said and cited the initiatives taken by newly installed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa
Sarma whereby general Lockdown was avoided but implementing Covid protocols effectively
in 'micro containment zone' has helped the fight against the pandemic.
The Prime Minister said there has been various hurdles and challenges thrown before northeastern states
due to geographical factor. "However, the efforts have been good. Testing to vaccination infrastructures have been
developed. The reports of maximum utility from these states were satisfactory," he said.
The medical workers specially ought to be congratulated in the region for discharging their duties should
be congratulated.
The four states where things need improvement, the Prime Minister said, "I am confident in these states also
good works will be carried out".
The four states are Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Sikkim.
On average the number of cases in three other states Assam, Nagaland and Tripura have been less.
"We all aware of the challenges. During and after the second wave, united efforts have been made and
the results are now showing," the Prime Minister said, however adding, "in few districts in these northeastern
states, the percentage of Covid cases is large and there is still an increase in the trends".
"We have to identify the trends and factors. We need to be more careful and cautions and at the same
time, we ought to ensure that people are also made to be cautious," Mr Modi said.
"In order to stop the pandemic increase its grip, we must undertake steps and make more efforts more
strictly," he emphasised.
Mr Modi said, "We need to keep an eye on COVID variants, experts are studying them. We need to
encourage people to follow appropriate behaviour".
This pandemic is more often 'changing its behaviour' and this has added to the challenges, he said.
He said Assam Chief Minister has told the meeting today that in Assam about 6000 micro containment zones
have been created. "This has helped fixing responsibilities as well," the Prime Minister said.
There is also need to identify 'best practices' being enforced in various states and try to repeat them in
other areas for good results.
ends
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