The Centre constituted a six-member committee to examine various issues relating to the queer community. The panel will be headed by the Cabinet secretary. The Secretary, Department of Home, Secretary of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Secretary of Department of Health and Family Welfare, Secretary of Legislative Department and Secretary of Department of Social Justice and Empowerment are among other members of the committee. The move comes months after the Supreme Court refused to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages asserting the matter should be dealt by the Parliament. On October 17, 2023, the apex court directed the Centre....Read More

As a progressive initiative, ECI for the first time in a Lok Sabha election, has provided the facility of home voting for elderly citizens above 85 years of age and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) with a 40% benchmark disability. The initiative will help in ensuring an equitable, approachable and inclusive electoral process. This initiative marks a significant stride towards ensuring inclusivity and accessibility of the electoral process and in bolstering democratic participation. There are over 81 lakhs 85+ aged voters and 90 lakhs + PwD voters registered across the country. OTHER STEPS TAKEN BY ECI: Systematic Voter’s Education and Electoral....Read More

Recently, the Supreme Court announced that it would soon address petitions for 100% verification of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips, just ahead of the first phase of voting on 19th April 2024. Highlights: The VVPAT machine is attached to the ballot unit of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), and provides visual verification for the vote cast by a voter by printing a slip of paper with the voter’s choice on it. The slip of paper with the candidate’s details is briefly displayed for verification behind a glass window, giving the voter 7 seconds, before dropping into a compartment....Read More

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in parts of Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months. The extension starts from April 1, 2024, and was determined after a review of the law and order situation in these northeastern states. KEY HIGHLIGHTS As per the notification, the AFSPA has been extended in the whole of eight districts and 21 police stations in five other districts of In Arunachal Pradesh, it has been extended in three districts and areas falling under the jurisdiction of three police stations in Namsai district.....Read More

In a bid to provide accessibility to all and leave no voter behind, the Election Commission announced that the voters above 85 years of age and Persons-with-Disabilities (pwd) with 40 percent benchmark disability can vote from home. Further, volunteers and wheelchairs will be available at every polling station. The poll body is also arranging transport facilities for the persons-with-disabilities and elderly. The Commission launched the Saksham App to facilitate easier voting for PWDs and to avail facilities at Polling Stations. Further, it is pushing for permanent Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) in schools as a gift of election process to the....Read More

For the first time in the Lok Sabha election's history, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has allowed senior persons 85 years of age and more and people with disabilities to use the "vote-from-home" The ‘vote-from-home’ facility is solely reserved for the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and senior citizens aged 85 and above. This decision would allow more than 85 lakh senior citizens and 4 lakh persons with disabilities to cast their votes by postal ballots. HISTORY The facility was previously attempted during Assembly elections in select areas, allowing PwD, senior citizens and those affected by Covid-19 to vote from....Read More

The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench has declared the UP Board of Madarsa Education Act of 2004 as The court ruled that the act violated the principle of secularism, as well as several articles of the Constitution, including articles 14, 21, and 21-A. Additionally, the court found that the act also contravened section 22 of the University Grants Commission Act of 1956. KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JUDGMENT A court in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has directed the state government to provide regular school education to students enrolled in The court wants these students to be accommodated in primary,....Read More

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has notified the category of electors mentioned for the purpose of facility of voting through postal ballot as absentee voters in the category of persons employed on essential services. Key Highlights: This category specifically includes individuals employed in essential services, ensuring their participation in the democratic process even while fulfilling vital duties on polling day. The list of eligible voters encompasses a diverse range of professionals whose roles are indispensable for the smooth functioning of society. Those included in the list are employees from critical sectors such as public transportation (Metro), Railways, telecommunications (BSNL),....Read More

1. Tamilisai Soundararajan resigned as the Governor of Telangana and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. Soundararajan, 62, is expected to return to electoral politics and contest Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Tamil Nadu.Read More

The high-level committee on “One Nation, One Election”, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu. The high-level committee includes Home Minister Amit Shah, former leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairman K Singh, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash Kashyap and senior advocate Harish Salve. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is a special invitee to the panel. The panel reasoned that the current system of having several elections every year, casts a huge burden on the government, businesses and the society at large. RECOMMENDATIONS Foremost, the panel....Read More