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Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) — Section 50 — Compliance with search provisions — Accused must be apprised of legal right to be searched before a Magistrate or Gazetted Officer, not a Police Officer — Offering a third option to be searched before a Police Officer contravenes Section 50 and vitiates the entire trial — High Court correctly set aside conviction based on non-compliance with Section 50 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Section 166 — Compensation — Deduction of group insurance benefits — Whether amounts received by claimants under employer-provided group insurance or other contractual/social security benefits can be deducted from compensation awarded under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Held, such benefits arise from independent contractual relationships and lack nexus with statutory compensation for death in a motor vehicle accident — Principle of balancing loss and gain cannot diminish statutory entitlement to just compensation — High Court rightly set aside deductions made by the Tribunal towards group insurance amounts. Recruitment Rules — Interpretation of — Anganwadi Workers applying for Supervisor posts — Eligibility and quota for graduates vs. SSLC holders — Amendment to rules increasing quota for Anganwadi Workers and earmarking a portion for graduates — Whether graduates are excluded from the general quota for Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and 10 years’ experience — Supreme Court held that the amendment did not exclude graduate Anganwadi Workers from applying for the 29% vacancies available to Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and 10 years’ experience — The 11% quota for graduates was carved out from the open recruitment quota, not from the existing quota for Anganwadi Workers with SSLC and experience — The selection process did not give any weightage to graduates, and the number of non-graduates selected indicated a level playing field. Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Special Provisions) Act, 2010 — Section 3(b) — Exclusion of employees appointed on academic arrangement basis from regularization — Classification held unconstitutional — Section 3(b) lacks intelligible differentia and rational nexus to the object of the Act — Denial of regularization solely based on nomenclature is impermissible under Article 14 of the Constitution where duties, tenure, and conditions of service are similar to ad hoc or contractual appointees. Adverse Possession — Claiming title by adverse possession against the State/Union Government is not permissible, irrespective of the duration of possession — Such perfection of rights is not recognized against the government.

Development Control Rules for Greater Bombay, 1967 – Claim for construction of open spaces – Open spaces are required to be left for an approval of layout or for the purpose of creating lung space for the owners of other plots where constructions are permitted. HELD It is fairly well settled that in an approved layout, the open spaces which are left, are to be continued in that manner alone and no construction can be permitted in such open spaces. Appeal dismissed.

  SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH ANJUMAN E SHIATE ALI AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. GULMOHAR AREA SOCIETIES WELFARE GROUP AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Mohan M.…

Service Matters

Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998 – Eligibility criteria – Post of Director of medical institutions – HELD This Court fail to understand as to how such direction can be given by the High Court for providing a relaxation which is not notified in the advertisement – While it is open for the employer to notify such criteria for relaxation when sufficient candidates are not available, at the same time nobody can claim such relaxation as a matter of right

  SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DR. THINGUJAM ACHOUBA SINGH AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. DR. H. NABACHANDRA SINGH AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : R. Banumathi and…

Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966 – Section 26 – HELD The High Court, mainly on the ground that the Planning Authority has not prepared a draft development plan within the time prescribed under Section 26 of the MRTP Act, has allowed the writ petition with a further direction that the competent authority shall undertake the remaining work relating to preparation of draft development plan and submit to the State Government for sanction. – We are of the view that the said aspects need not be gone into at this stage by this Court. Chapter III of the MRTP Act deals with the preparation of development plan and as per Section 38 of the MRTP Act development plan is to be revised at least once in twenty years. We are of the view that it is not a fit case to interfere with the impugned order under Article 136 of the Constitution of India.

  SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE MAYOR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION — Appellant Vs. GOVIND BAJIRAO NAVPUTE AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Mohan M. Shantanagoudar and R. Subhash…

Service Matters

Service Law – Appointment – Primary Assistant Teachers – Various schemes were framed to fill up various vacant posts of teachers in different categories as per the policies framed by the State Government during the years 2001 and 2003 – Inordinate delay on the part of the appellants in approaching the High Court HELD Having regard to nature of such appointments, appointments made as per policies cannot be termed as illegal. Having regard to material placed before this Court and having regard to reasons recorded in the impugned order by the High Court, we are of the view that no case is made out to interfere with the impugned judgment of the High Court.

  SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH CHANDER MOHAN NEGI AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : Mohan M. Shantanagoudar and…

Service Matters

No Reservation In Promotions Without Examining Adequacy Of Representation In Promotional Posts : SC HELD if they wish to exercise their discretion and make reservations in promotion, the States have to collect quantifiable data showing backwardness of the class and inadequacy of representation of that class in public employment, keeping in mind maintenance of efficiency, as indicated by Article 335 of the Constitution of India.

No Reservation In Promotions Without Examining Adequacy Of Representation In Promotional Posts : SC [Read Judgment] LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK 17 April 2020 9:52 PM Following the principle that reservation in…

Once A Mortgage, Always A Mortgage’ – Right To Redeem Mortgage Can Be Extinguished Only By Process Of Law : SC HELD “Section 90 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 casts a clear obligation on the mortgagee to hold any right acquired by him in the mortgaged property for the benefit of the mortgagor, as he is seen to be acting in a fiduciary capacity in respect of such transactions. Therefore, the advantage derived by the Appellants (mortgagee) by way of the re-grant must be surrendered to the benefit of the Respondents (Mirashi tenant––mortgagor)”

Section 90 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 casts a clear obligation on the mortgagee to hold any right acquired by him in the mortgaged property for the benefit of…

Service Matters

Gratuity Payable On Resignation From Employment After 5 Years Of Continuous Service: SC HELD ” As rightly pointed out by the learned counsel for the respondents, Section 4(1)(b) of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 provides that the gratuity shall be payable if the termination of employment is after 5 years of continuous service and such termination would include resignation as well.

Gratuity Payable On Resignation From Employment After 5 Years Of Continuous Service: SC [Read Judgment] LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK 16 April 2020 8:09 AM ‘Termination’ under Section 4(1)(b) of Payment of…

SC Releases New Standard Operating Procedure For Hearings Via Videoconferencing During COVID Lockdown: [Read Circular] @ SC Releases New Standard Operating Procedure For Hearings Via Videoconferencing During COVID Lockdown: [Read Circular] SC Releases New Standard Operating Procedure For Hearings Via Videoconferencing During COVID Lockdown: [Read Circular] https://main.sci.gov.in/php/FAQ/5_6246991526434439183.pdf

SC Releases New Standard Operating Procedure For Hearings Via Videoconferencing During COVID Lockdown: [Read Circular] Sanya Talwar 15 April 2020 9:08 PM In pursuance of conducting Video Conference Hearings effectively,…

Exemption Clauses In Insurance Contracts Are To Be Construed Against Insurer In Case Of Doubt : SC HELD Where there is ambiguity in the policy the court will apply the contra proferentem rule. It means that ambiguity in the wording of the policy is to be resolved against the party who prepared the contract.

Exemption Clauses In Insurance Contracts Are To Be Construed Against Insurer In Case Of Doubt : SC [Read Judgment] LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK 15 April 2020 7:48 PM In a notable…

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