Tata Motors moved Calcutta High Court on Tuesday night, challenging the legality of the Singur land return Act, an hour after the Hooghly administration pasted reacquisition notices on the main gate of the disputed Singur compound to take back land acquired for both Nano factory and the vendor park.
In the state of Uttar Pradesh, five new cases of rape have been reported since Sunday. On Sunday, a 35 year old woman was gang raped by 5 men and burnt alive in Etah while a Dalit teenager was raped and killed in Gonda district. Another 12 year old girl was raped and murdered in Sitapur on Monday.
On 17th of June 2011, the division bench of Allahabad High Court fixed July 4th as the next date of hearing in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding CBI to probe into the dreadful killing of a minor girl inside a police station at Lakhimpur Kheri on June 10th.
Both government representatives and civil society members on Thursday expressed their willingness to co-operate with each other in drafting a strong and effective Lokpal Bill.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI yesterday through his landmark speech announced proposals for constitutional amendments in the country. The king said the measures would entrench democratic institutions and protect rights, though he confirmed that he will retain some key powers. The reforms would give the prime minister and parliament more executive authority and make Berber an official language in Morocco, alongside Arabic. The proposals will be put to a referendum on 1 July. King Mohammed, 47, acceded to the throne in 1999 following the death of his father, Hassan II, and now heads the Arab world’s longest-serving dynasty. The king had promised in March to introduce “comprehensive constitutional reform” after anti-government protests inspired by that elsewhere in the region. In his speech broadcast King Mohammed outlined his proposals and urged Moroccans to back them. He also added that if reforms were approved, they would “constitute a decisive historic transition in the process of the building of the rule of law and democratic institutions, and in entrenching the principles and mechanisms of good governance”. The independence of the judiciary and efforts to tackle corruption would be boosted, he added, and the reforms would guarantee freedom of expression and gender rights. King also said that his own powers would be reduced “as much as possible”, with the prime minister gaining the authority to appoint government officials and dissolve parliament. The king said he would remain as the supreme commander of the armed forces, and retain control over security. A new article within the constitution formalized his role as the highest religious authority in the country. Driss Lachgar, minister in charge of relations with parliament, called the draft “a real revolution”. Kings speech was received by Moroccans by mixed reactions.
The CBI court of Cochin today criticized CPM Kerala state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan who is the seventh accused for not appearing in the court in connection with the Lavalin case. The court said that valid reasons should be given for not appearing in the court and that it’s not right to avoid court procedures by stating the reason of illness and then to appear in public appointments. But Pinarayi’s advocate informed the court that the accused will present him in the court any time the court decides. The court also ordered to sent another non-bailable warrant against the sixth accused Claus Trendell, Vice President of Canadian MNC SNC Lavalin.for not appearing in the court in connection with the Lavalin case and to issue summons to the Lavalin Company, ninth accused in the case.
Thursday witnessed a landmark treaty as the International Labour Organization (ILO) gave protection to an estimated 52.6 million domestic workers across the world, a figure reached upon compilation of national statistics by the ILO. There are reasons to believe that the true number is concealed due to under counting among states. Despite the large numbers, they are still among the most exploited and abused.
For approaching the Court for the recovery of Rs. 750 as electricity bill outstanding amount from a consumer, the Supreme Court severely reprimanded the Uttar Pradesh Government and Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), on 15th of June, 2011.