-The Hindu The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to replace the word “rape” with the phrase “sexual assault”, making it a gender-neutral offence and identified acid attacks as a separate offence punishable by a maximum of ten years. Union Minister for Women & Child Development (WCD) Krishna Tirath confirmed that the Cabinet had given the go-ahead to the draft proposal. “Besides the two proposals that have been accepted, it has...

-The Hindu The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Registrar General of the Allahabad High Court and the Central Information Commission on a public interest writ petition challenging the RTI rules framed by the High Court. A Bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar issued notice on the PIL filed by Common Cause, after hearing its counsel Prashant Bhushan, who submitted that the rules were unduly restrictive as it...

-The Indian Express The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Allahabad High Court registry to reply to a PIL challenging its RTI rules as unconstitutional. A bench of Justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar asked the registry to respond on a plea by NGO, Common Cause, which has sought the quashing of Rules 3 to 5, 20 and 25 to 27 of the Allahabad High Court (Right to Information) Rules, 2006. The...

-The Telegraph Ranchi: Jharkhand High Court today slapped fines of Rs 10,000 each on the state chief secretary and another official for failing to ensure a timely government affidavit, a nagging problem that plagues the judiciary and against which the court has spoken out earlier. While hearing a public interest litigation filed by Md Ashique Ahmed on reorganisation of scheduled areas, a division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Tatia and Justice Jaya...

-The Times of India The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre whether political parties should be de-recognized calling for blockade of rail and road as part of their agitation which severely disrupted lives of ordinary citizens and movement of essential items, including foodgrains. A bench of Justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya posed this question to solicitor general R F Nariman as soon as he presented the Centre's suggestions...