Entertaining petitions on religious practices can have far-reaching consequences, says SC 

The Supreme Court on Thursday said a deluge of petitions complaining about religious practices and religion would follow if the courts start interfering in matters of faith

Openness, not isolation, is the bedrock of the West

The West's advantage lies not only in military alliances or economic scale, but in institutional resilience and its capacity to attract, integrate, and retain talent.

Should the abortion law be amended for minor rape victims?

There are two sets of laws that regulate abortion in India. Sections 88 to 94 of the BNS and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971. Abortion is criminalised under Section 88 of the BNS, which

means that a woman who terminates her pregnancy with her consent and the doctor who terminates her pregnancy with her consent and his consent can be criminalised. In 1979, there was an exception created via the MTP Act, which created a framework for conditional rights. Abortion is legal in India based on certain circumstances and conditions. The 2022 Supreme Court judgement also elaborates on abortion rights as fundamental rights. There are three components: unmarried women are entitled to seek termination; transgender persons are also included within the legal framework; and the right to terminate a

pregnancy in India is part of [the] decisional autonomy of a woman or a pregnant person.

Scope of legal fiction in party mergers

Among the deeming clauses of political consequence is paragraph 4(2) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. It protects legislators when their original political party merges with another and two-thirds of the legislature party agree to it.

The Bombay High Court (Goa Bench) has twice upheld merger orders based solely on a two-thirds resolution of legislators. In April, the Rajya Sabha Chairman accepted the merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party MPs with the BJP on the same reading.

How does Kerala plan to tackle oil spill hazards?

Kerala had witnessed two shipwrecks off its coast last year, raising serious threats to the State's marine ecosystem and coastal environment. It prompted the authorities to step up efforts to formulate an Oil Spill Contingency Plan.

The framework will elaborate on the oil spill contingency planning guidelines, wildlife response plans, ship board pollution emergency plans and tactical oil spill booming/site response plans.

Was a 'proper debate' held in Parliament on CEC and ECS appointment law, asks SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked if there had been a "proper debate" in Parliament about the "ethos" of its 2023 judgment that took the appointment of members of the Election Commission out of the exclusive hands of the political executive, namely, "the party which not unnaturally has an interest in perpetuating itself in power".

Governor must ensure formation of a stable government in a State

The insistence that Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay must prove majority support in the Legislative Assembly is based on a time-tested legal principle that a Governor's first priority is the formation of a stable government to prevent the State from slipping into a situation of complete breakdown of constitutional machinery, leading to President's Rule.

'Canada must act against anti-India extremist elements'

India on Thursday called upon Canada to act against "anti-India extremist elements" operating from Canadian soil against the backdrop of a Canadian intelligence report highlighting the national security threat posed by Khalistani elements.

The annual report for 2025 by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), released last week, said the involvement of Canada-based Khalistani extremists in "violent extremist activities" continued to pose a national security threat to Canada.

Delhi urges Dhaka to expedite verification of 2,800 illegal immigrants

The repatriation of Bangladeshi citizens who are illegally staying in India is a "core issue" in the Delhi-Dhaka relationship, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

CAG conducting audit of 101 cities to assess ease of living

India is conducting a special audit of 101 cities to assess ease of living from the citizen's perspective, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) K. Sanjay Murthy said on Thursday. At the 5th BRICS Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) Leaders' Summit here, Mr. Murthy said the CAG of India is auditing multi-modal transport and first-mile, last-mile logistics, in partnership with institutions like the IIT and IIM, and the World Bank.

'Compliance norms could derail EU FTA deal benefits'

While hailing the India-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as creating a joint market comprising one quarter of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the EU's ambassador to India Hervé Delphin also struck a note of caution over regulatory hurdles and "unfinished business" that could overshadow the benefits of the deal.

'Ukraine launched major drone attack after Moscow shunned ceasefire offer'

Russian air defences shot down 347 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday, in what appeared to be a major attack after Moscow spurned Kyiv's ceasefire and tension mounted over safety at Russia's upcoming Victory Day celebrations.