-The Hindu SC verdict disqualified MPs and MLAs convicted in criminal case , barred those in custody from polls New Delhi: Parties across the political spectrum have agreed to amend the Representation of the People Act to overturn a Supreme Court verdict barring people in police or judicial custody from contesting elections. At an all-party meeting here on Tuesday, the government also received backing for its proposal to amend the Act to...

-The Indian Express As the tenure of the incumbent draws to a close, let's debate the institution's structure and powers It is time for the selection of a new comptroller and auditor general as the tenure of the incumbent draws to a close on May 22. Traditionally, the CAG has been an unseen agency, churning out audit report after audit report on every department supported by government funds every year. The last...

-The Times of India The Cabinet on Thursday will consider a proposal for creating the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), scrapping the current system of appointing judges through the collegiums system of Supreme Court and High Court judges. The proposal provides for a six-member JAC headed by the Chief Justice of India with the law minister and the Opposition leader and two jurists as other members. The proposal, which replaces the present system of...

-The Hindu CJI questions Trust’s locus standi to file petition The Supreme Court has rejected a plea for revisiting the 1993 nine-judge judgment giving its collegium primacy in appointment of judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts. In April 2010, a two-judge Bench, after hearing Attorney-General G.E. Vahanvati and amicus curiae A.K. Ganguly, posted before a larger Bench the petition filed by Suraz India Trust seeking review of the collegium system. Accordingly, the...

-The Times of India Denials notwithstanding, the government indeed has been considering the idea of turning the Comptroller and Auditor General into a multi-member body as minister of state in Prime Minister's Office V Narayanaswamy said last week. Although the government had dropped the idea of turning the CAG into a multi-member body, agreeing with the federal auditor that the existing structure with a singular head was fine, it dusted off the...