NEW DELHI, July 30: The Supreme Court of India has ruled that state bar councils cannot charge more than Rs 650 and Rs 125 for enrolling law graduates from general and SC-ST categories, respectively, as lawyers.

The Court’s decision came after a batch of pleas challenged the “exorbitant” fees being levied by state bar councils. The bench, which included Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, emphasized that both the Bar Council of India (BCI) and state bar councils are bound by the provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961, and cannot impose fees exceeding the amounts set by Parliament.

Referring to Section 24 of the Advocates Act, the bench clarified that the fee for enrolling a law graduate as a lawyer is set at Rs 650, and only Parliament has the authority to alter this amount through legislative amendments.

The Supreme Court had previously issued notices on April 10 to the Centre, the BCI, and other state bar bodies regarding the pleas, which highlighted significant discrepancies in enrollment fees. The pleas contended that the fees charged by some state bar councils were in violation of the statutory provisions and effectively barred young aspiring lawyers from enrolling due to financial constraints.

The Court noted that the enrollment fees reported were substantially higher in some states: Rs 42,100 in Odisha, Rs 25,000 in Gujarat, Rs 23,650 in Uttarakhand, Rs 21,460 in Jharkhand, and Rs 20,050 in Kerala. The high fees were seen as an impediment to aspiring lawyers who lack the financial means to afford them.

The Supreme Court’s ruling mandates that state bar councils adhere to the statutory fee structure, ensuring that the process of enrolling as a lawyer is accessible and equitable for all law graduates.

 

 

Penguin Random House India (PRHI) announced on Monday the forthcoming release of the first complete English translation of “Kamba Ramayanam,” the Tamil version of the Ramayana penned by 12th-century poet Kampan. This monumental project, which involves a team of six distinguished scholars and translators, is slated for publication between 2028 and 2030.

“Kamba Ramayanam” is renowned as the pinnacle of Tamil literary tradition, celebrated for its innovative language, the psychological depth of its characters, and its profound exploration of themes such as power, truth, and divinity. The epic poem, composed of 42,000 lines of verse, will be presented in seven volumes, with an introductory volume. The volumes are titled: “Volume 1: Bala,” “Volume 2: Ayodhya,” “Volume 3: Aranya,” “Volume 4: Kishkindha,” “Volume 5: Sundara,” and “Volumes 6 and 7: Yuddha Part 1 and 2.”

The translation project is being led by a team of esteemed scholars, including Shiv Subramaniam from Emory University, Professor David Shulman from Hebrew University, Professor Whitney Cox from the University of Chicago, independent scholar Jennifer Clare, Professor Archana Venkatesan from UC Davis, and Aniruddhan Vasudevan from Princeton University.

Professors Venkatesan and Shulman, who also serve as volume editors and authors of the introductory volume, expressed their excitement: “Kampan’s Tamil Ramayana, composed in 10,000 verses, is a remarkable achievement that captures the essence of an entire civilization—its landscapes, people, values, and profound emotions. We are thrilled that Penguin will be publishing the first complete, fully annotated English translation of this literary masterpiece.”

The influence of Kampan’s Ramayana extends well beyond Tamil Nadu, impacting literary traditions across Kerala, parts of the Indian peninsula, and even Southeast Asia. Despite its significant influence, a comprehensive English translation has been long-awaited due to the epic’s vast length.

Rea Mukherjee, Commissioning Editor at PRHI, highlighted the importance of the project: “This translation aims to convey the sensibility, spirit, and beauty of Kampan’s epic to both general and specialist readers. I am excited to work with this distinguished team of scholars and to see this remarkable work reach readers soon.”

 

 

In a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Kiren Rijiju responded sharply to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s criticisms of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Gandhi had questioned the Speaker’s authority during a debate on the Union Budget, prompting a strong rebuttal from the two ministers.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned Gandhi’s approach, stating, “I condemn the manner in which the Leader of Opposition attacked the Speaker and showed disregard for the rules and procedures of the House.”

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw criticized Gandhi’s adherence to constitutional norms. “Rahul Gandhi has a history of disregarding constitutional processes. He once tore up an ordinance from his own party’s government. It’s clear he has no intention of following constitutional norms,” Vaishnaw remarked.

Vaishnaw expressed concern over Gandhi’s behavior, suggesting that it undermines the integrity of democratic institutions. “It is unfortunate that despite holding a constitutional position, Gandhi’s conduct in the House undermines democracy,” he said.

Rijiju also emphasized the importance of adhering to parliamentary rules. “The position of Leader of Opposition carries significant responsibility. Gandhi’s remarks targeting the Speaker were out of line. The House functions according to rules, and the Speaker is the custodian of these rules,” Rijiju asserted.

Rijiju added that Gandhi’s failure to focus on the Union Budget during the debate was problematic. “Rahul Gandhi was repeatedly reminded by the Chair to adhere to the rules and concentrate on the Union Budget, but he strayed from the topic. As Leader of Opposition, he must respect the rules and the Constitution,” Rijiju concluded.

New Delhi : The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking a review of its judgment rejecting the plea for 100 percent verification of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta found no grounds for revisiting the April 26 verdict, stating, “We have carefully perused the review petition, as also the grounds in support thereof. In our opinion, no case for review of the judgment dated April 26, 2024, is made out. The review petition is, accordingly, dismissed,” the bench stated in its July 25 order. The review petition, filed by Arun Kumar Agarwal, argued that there were apparent mistakes and errors in the April 26 judgment. The petitioner contended, “It is not correct to state that the result will be unreasonably delayed (by tallying EVM votes with VVPAT slips) or the manpower required will be double of that already deployed… Existing CCTV surveillance of counting halls would ensure that manipulation and mischief do not occur in VVPAT slip counting.” Agarwal’s review petition highlighted concerns about the reliability and transparency of electronic voting machines. It stated, “Electronic voting machines do not allow voters to verify that their votes have been accurately recorded. Furthermore, given their very nature, electronic voting machines are especially vulnerable to malicious changes by insiders such as designers, programmers, manufacturers, maintenance technicians, etc.” The petition further argued that due to these vulnerabilities, the previous judgment had apparent errors and should be reconsidered. On April 26, the Supreme Court had also rejected a plea to revert to the paper ballot voting system. The judgment came in response to petitions from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Arun Kumar Aggarwal, and others, who sought more extensive verification of EVM data against VVPAT records to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voting process. Despite these concerns, the court maintained its position that 100 percent verification of EVM votes with VVPAT slips was not necessary.

JAMSHEDPUR/RANCHI/KOLKATA, July 30: A major train accident occurred early Tuesday morning in Jharkhand’s Seraikela-Kharsawan district, resulting in the derailment of at least 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail. The incident, which took place at approximately 3:45 AM near Barabamboo—around 80 km from Jamshedpur—has led to the deaths of two individuals and injured at least 20 others.

According to officials, the Howrah-Mumbai Mail, which was en route to Mumbai from Howrah, collided with a stationary goods train. The South Eastern Railway (SER) has confirmed that 18 out of the 22 coaches of the train derailed. The affected coaches include 16 passenger coaches, one power car, and one pantry car.

Rescue operations are currently underway with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) dispatched to the scene. West Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Chaudhary, who is at the accident site, reported that rescue teams are working diligently to provide aid and transport the injured to nearby facilities. A relief train has been arranged to evacuate passengers to Chakradharpur railway station, and additional buses are being organized for further transportation.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has instructed officials to expedite relief efforts and ensure that those affected receive prompt medical attention. Injured passengers are being treated at Barabamboo before being transferred to Chakradharpur for more comprehensive care.

Due to the derailment, several trains on the route have been cancelled or diverted, including the 22861 Howrah-Titlagarh-Kantabanji Ispat Express and the 12021 Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express. The South Eastern Railway has set up helplines to assist passengers and their families. The numbers are as follows:

Mumbai: 022-22694040
Bhusawal: 08799982712
Nagpur: 7757912790
Tata: 0657-2290324
Chakradharpur: 06587-238072
Rourkela: 0661-2501072, 0661-2500244
Jharsuguda: 06645-272530
Howrah: 9433357920, 033-26382217
Shalimar: 7595074427, 6295531471
Kharagpur: 03222-293764