Pairokar

A disturbing trend appears to be emerging among some politicians who, after being voted out of office, show reluctance to abide by the rules and conventions governing the relinquishment of power and official privileges. In a democracy, respect for the people's mandate requires not only accepting electoral defeat but also gracefully surrendering the offices, residences, and privileges attached to power. Two examples that attracted public attention are those of Mamata Banerjee and Rabri Devi, both former Chief Ministers of their respective states. The country witnessed an unprecedented constitutional situation when Mamata Banerjee, despite losing the Assembly election, did not immediately relinquish office. Ultimately, the Governor had to intervene and administer the oath to the new Chief Minister. Such incidents undermine democratic norms and set an unhealthy precedent. The conduct of Rabri Devi and her husband, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who together dominated Bihar's politics for near...

The Modi government has ushered in several transformational changes over the past twelve years from the perspective of ordinary citizens. The first major change is that young men and women from modest backgrounds no longer have to run from pillar to post to get their documents attested by gazetted officers. Earlier, they often had to visit government offices or even the homes of officials, and many were compelled to pay small bribes to peons or staff members merely to have their documents signed and verified. This not only wasted the time of the youth but also that of the officers and their staff. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended this cumbersome practice through an announcement made from the ramparts of the Red Fort (Lal Quila). The second significant step was the opening of zero-balance bank accounts for the poorest sections of society without burdensome paperwork. Instead of forcing poor citizens to repeatedly visit bank branches, bank officials themselves reached out to them...

A young and beautiful girl, Twisha Sharma, lost her life a few days ago in Bhopal, where she was married to an advocate who has been absconding since Twisha's death but has recently surrendered in Jabalpur instead of Bhopal, where he lives with his family. Twisha's mother–in–law has been handling the media and the police. The public wants to know the real story of Twisha's death. While her parents and younger sister lay all the blame on the mother-in-law and her husband, on the other hand, the mother-in-law, Mrs Giribala Singh, a former judge in the District Judiciary of Madhya Pradesh, is quite influential, and she has been passing the buck to her daughter-in-law, Twisha Sharma, for her death. The mother-in-law, Giribala Singh, alleges that Twisha was schizophrenic and had a split personality. She used to take drugs, although she is reported to have died because of a ligature caused by ropes tied around her neck. Giribal Sigh says that she did it in the moments of extrem...

  It is difficult to understand why some people tried to make a mountain out of a molehill over the Chief Justice of India’s obiter remarks about certain “parasites” and “cockroaches” masquerading as lawyers. The controversy ought to have ended after the CJI promptly clarified his remarks. Judges ordinarily speak through their judgments, and comments made during court proceedings—whether in repartee or in a lighter vein—should not be seized upon to malign a judge merely because he refuses to yield to pressure. Judicial decisions, once in the public domain, may certainly be criticised, but such criticism must remain free from personal attacks or imputations of motive against the judge concerned. Coming to what Justice Surya Kant observed, it would not be entirely unfair to say that many law colleges in the country deserve closure. More than a decade ago, the then Solicitor General of India, Gopal Subramanium, who was also served temporarily as the   Chairman of the Bar Counci...

  Udant Martand (The Rising Sun) was first published in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on 30th May 1826 by Pandit Jugal Kishore Shukla, a lawyer and freedom fighter from Kanpur. Originally a pleader from Kanpur, Shukla moved to Calcutta to practise and earn his livelihood. Calcutta offered the most lucrative opportunities for a legal professional at that time. He dedicated his resources, intellect, and career to the newspaper, advocating for the native Indian population against colonial laws. His decision to launch India's first Hindi weekly newspaper was influenced by several distinct professional and logistical factors. In the early 19th century, Calcutta was the epicentre of India's nascent print culture. The city possessed the essential resources required to start a newspaper—such as established printing presses, a steady paper supply, and early Devanagari typesetting capabilities—which were entirely unavailable in Kanpur or the wider North-Indian Hindi belt. Thus, Calcutta has ...

  The appearance of Mamata Banerjee in the robes of an advocate at the Calcutta High Court on the 14th of May is very surprising. She may be a law graduate or even enrolled as an advocate with the State Bar Council, but if she has had her licence restored by the State Bar Council in four days, that would be truly surprising. Even the Bar Council of India has sought certified copies of the original records relating to Mamata Banerjee from the State Advocate’s Roll. Until the 8th of May, she remained the Chief Minister of the State. The Governor then dismissed her government, as neither she nor her party had been returned to power. As an MLA or MP, she could certainly have practised, but as a minister, she could not, as she would then be a public servant. Earlier, before the assembly elections, she appeared before the Supreme Court, but not as a lawyer, rather in a personal capacity. She was allowed to address the court for half an hour, but it was difficult to make head or tail of...

    The Union Cabinet has recently approved a proposal to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court of India from 34 to 38. The proposal is to be implemented through the bill, which would amend the existing 1956 law governing the Court’s sanctioned strength. The stated reasons, as published in the newspapers, are rising pendency of cases (reported to be around 92,000–93,000 cases), the need for quicker disposal of matters, enabling more Constitution Benches and regular benches to function simultaneously. This would be the first increase since 2019, when the strength was raised from 32 to 34. In fact, even this number of 38 will be inadequate, which should be further increased, as now there is no dearth of space or infrastructure. However, the pendency cannot be reduced only by increasing the strength of judges, so long as Artificial Intelligence is not used effectively. For this purpose, the judges, staff members and advocates should be properly train...

  It is a troubling anomaly that, more than a month after tendering his resignation on April 9, 2026, Justice Yashwant Varma remains a judge of the Allahabad High Court on paper. While his resignation awaits formal acceptance by the President, the shadows of the March 2025 discovery—unaccounted, half-burnt currency found at his residence—continue to loom over the integrity of the higher judiciary. The Investigative Trail The evidence against Justice Varma is substantial. Following a fire at his official residence, an In-house Enquiry Committee found "strong evidence" that the judge exercised "tacit or active control" over the storeroom where the cash was discovered. When the judge refused to resign voluntarily in May 2025, the matter escalated to Parliament. On August 12, 2025, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla admitted an impeachment motion backed by over 140 MPs and constituted a three-member committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 . Justice Varma’s respons...

  There is little doubt that, in the last few days, Mamata Banerjee has gone completely insane. She urgently needs proper mental treatment. Although earlier she was also known for her bizarre behaviour, which was considered a sign of her struggling nature. A politician can indeed sink to any level to gain and retain power, but it is difficult to imagine that a politician like Mamata Banerjee could reach the lowest ebb in public life, and even after being comprehensively defeated at the hustings, refuse to vacate the post of Chief Minister. She talks very highly of morality, constitution and compassion, but her actions are entirely contrary to what she preaches. In fact, there is a world of difference between what she says and what she does. She contested the election in the name of constitutional democracy, but now, very shockingly, refuses to step down after her and her party’s defeat in the elections. Thanks to the sagacity of the Election Commission of India and the Central forc...

  The decision of the Supreme Court’s Advocate-on-Record (AoR) Examination Committee not to hold the AoR Examination in 2026 is deeply disappointing and difficult to justify. The reason reportedly offered—that the existing number of AoRs is already adequate—is flimsy, arbitrary, and contrary to the principles of fairness and professional opportunity. The AoR system is not merely an internal administrative arrangement. It is the gateway through which advocates earn the right to independently file and conduct matters before the Supreme Court. Closing that gateway for an entire year amounts to denying deserving lawyers an opportunity they have spent years preparing for. The numbers themselves tell a different story. About twenty-five years ago, only 10 to 15 candidates would pass the examination annually. Today, hundreds qualify. In 2024, more than 350 candidates cleared the examination out of nearly 1,200 who appeared. In 2025, only 207 passed out of more than 1,550 candidates. T...

  An advocate, Vaibhav Singh, has filed a contempt of court petition in the Delhi High Court against some people for uploading reels of Arvind Kejriwal's arguments before Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma. Firstly, this petition should not have been filed because it runs counter to transparency in the court, unless, of course, it has not been edited dishonestly. There has been a long movement for the live streaming of the court proceedings of all the courts, because in that case, the clients and general public can watch what is going on in the courts. If the live streaming of the Parliament and assemblies can be managed, why can't the same be done for the courts? Thankfully, the Supreme Court of India made a historic decision on the live streaming of its proceedings. Every difficulty brings certain good things along with it. Thus, we find that Covid-19 brought virtual hearings for cases, which proved to be an immense blessing in disguise. Therefore, the very filing of the contemp...

  The "Hellhole" Label Fails to Define the Indian Diaspora While Donald Trump’s sweeping characterisation of India and China as a "hellhole" is certainly provocative, it is an assessment that ignores the profound differences in how these two immigrant groups contribute to and integrate into American society. Trump is often viewed as unpredictable and unfathomable, but his rhetoric fails to account for the undeniable fact that the Indian diaspora has become an indispensable pillar of the United States. Unlike other groups that may focus primarily on commercial volume, Indians who settle in the U.S. generally do so through a foundation of high qualifications and rigorous hard work. While a small minority might seek entry through unconventional means—such as the arduous "donkey routes" or the strategic timing of births to secure citizenship—the vast majority are well-educated professionals who act as vital assets. In fact, many of America’s manufacturing ...

   The recent proceedings before the Allahabad High Court in the alleged dual citizenship case against Rahul Gandhi offer a troubling reminder: in moments of urgency, it is often procedure that is sacrificed first—and with it, the legitimacy of the outcome. At the core lies a simple, non-negotiable rule:  audi alteram partem —no one should be condemned unheard. Yet the initial direction to register an FIR appears to have been issued without hearing the person most affected. The Court’s subsequent recall of its own order was not just corrective; it was necessary. But the question lingers—how was such a lapse allowed to occur at all? Equally concerning is the route taken. After the trial court declined relief, the petitioner bypassed the statutory mechanism under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and moved the High Court directly. The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly cautioned against precisely this practice. High Courts are not meant to be first-stop forums for FIR...

On 13th April, the former Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, argued his case in the High Court of Delhi for the recusal of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma from hearing his case. In a lengthy argument of more than an hour, he raised ten points as to why she should not hear the case. The most damning ground was that, since she is sympathetic to the philosophy or ideology of a particular party, which is his political enemy, he has genuine reasons to believe he will not receive fair justice from the court presided over by her. He specifically mentioned that she has attended four programmes of Adhivakta Parishad, which is closely linked with the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is hostile to him and his party. Shri Kejriwal wants a judge of impeccable integrity to hear his case and decide the matter. Justice Sharma has reserved the order. There is no doubt that justice should not only be done, but it should also appear to have been done. On the 15th of April, Kejriwal levelled another ...

Anyone who has seen the rubbish talk of Abdul Basit, the former envoy of Pakistan to India, will hardly doubt that he has gone mad and needs to be admitted to a mental asylum. Look at what he says: if there is any attack by the USA on Pakistan’s nuclear installations, Pakistan must first attack Delhi and Mumbai. This reveals his insanity, Jihadi mentality and diabolical hatred for India. It appears that he is unaware that ‘Operation Sindoor’ has only been suspended, not stopped. Pakistan’s image is of a beggar country. No organisation or country is willing to lend even loans or alms to this ungrateful nation. In the name of Islam, it has entered into a mutual aid cooperation with Saudi Arabia. Still, it has not even spoken a word against the bombardment of oil installations by Iran in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan has been carrying out terrorist explosions in India, but now receives the same reply from Afghanistan, and no country is coming to help her, knowing her history of dishonesty. Pakis...

The Nine-Judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India has concluded three days of hearing in Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa and State of U.P. v. Jai Bir Singh . Your organisation, the Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ), presented its submissions through the Secretary-General, who is also an Advocate-on-Record before the Supreme Court of India. The IFWJ strongly emphasised the Triple Test theory of “industry” , as laid down by Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer in the landmark seven-judge bench decision of 1978. The test lays down three essential conditions: 1.       Systematic Activity – The activity must be organised and structured (e.g., factory, hospital, educational institution). 2.       Employer–Employee Relationship – There must exist cooperation between employer and employees, irrespective of profit motive. 3.       Production/Distribution of Goods o...

A few of my friends have drawn my attention to my earlier post that the credibility of the judiciary is at its ebb, although it still enjoys more trust from the people than any other organs of governance. A harassed person, tired of everywhere, has nowhere to go except the judiciary to get some relief. But it is equally true of other departments. For example, corruption in hospitals and in the field of medicine is known to everybody, yet we still go to hospitals, private clinics and doctors, knowing the fact that a common man is bound to be cheated by them, but they still go to them because there is no alternative left for them. So much so. Even in the field of education, a common person is cheated. They know it, but there is no alternative as the TINA factor works. Most of the good schools and educational institutions not only charge hefty fees but also demand huge donations for admissions. Teachers do not properly teach the students, driven by the greed of earning money in the name o...