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Plea in SC seeks 'right to know' on product quality, seller details
Plea in SC seeks 'right to know' on product quality, seller details

Business Standard

time3 hours ago

  • Business
  • Business Standard

Plea in SC seeks 'right to know' on product quality, seller details

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to declare that consumers have a "right to know" about the quality, purity and certification of products, besides details of distributors and sellers for redressal against unfair restrictive trade practices. It has also sought directions to the Centre and the states to ensure that every distributor, trader and shop owner displays details of registration, including name, address, phone number and number of employees at the entry gate in bold letters on a display board visible to people. The plea is slated to come up for hearing on July 21 before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta. The petition filed by petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay said "right to know" was crucial for consumers to make informed choices and to protect themselves from unfair or restrictive trade practices and unscrupulous exploitation. "Right to know helps consumers avoid falling prey to a fraudulent or deceptive distributor, dealer, trader, seller and shop owner, who might misrepresent a product/service or disappear after sale, purchase and money transaction," said the plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey. It said that if a consumer has an issue with a product or service, knowing details about the distributor, dealer, and seller is essential for filing a complaint and seeking redressal through consumer redressal forums. "When a distributor, dealer, trader, seller and shop owner are transparent about their details, it fosters a fair and competitive market where consumers can make informed choices," the plea said. It said in essence, the right to know empowers consumers to be informed or protected and to make choices when engaging in sales, purchases and money transactions. The plea has sought to direct and declare that "every consumer has 'right to know' not only about quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard, manufacturing date, expiry date and BIS/FSSAI certification of good/products, but also about the details of the distributor/dealer/ trader/seller and shop owner, so as to seek redressal against unfair restrictive trade practices and unscrupulous exploitation in spirit of sections 2(6), 2(9), 2(10) and 2(11) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019".

Commuter wins legal battle over ‘unfair' bike taxi fare practices in Hyderabad
Commuter wins legal battle over ‘unfair' bike taxi fare practices in Hyderabad

Time of India

time16 hours ago

  • Business
  • Time of India

Commuter wins legal battle over ‘unfair' bike taxi fare practices in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A 27-year-old man won a legal battle against a bike taxi aggregator after the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-III found the company guilty of unfair trade practices for charging the same fare for vastly different travel distances. K Rajesh, 27, frequently uses bike taxis for commuting in the city. According to the complaint, Rajesh noticed a pricing anomaly while using the aggregator's app. On June 20, he booked a ride from Nallakunta to Himayathnagar, a distance of 2.14 km, and was charged Rs 32. However, on July 4, for a much shorter ride of just 300 metres, he was charged the exact same fare of Rs 32. Rajesh submitted both fare invoices to the court, claiming the pricing model lacked transparency and misled consumers. The aggregator argued that the fare was calculated based on base charges and surge pricing mechanisms. However, the commission found that applying the same price to such significantly different distances, especially when no clear justification was offered, amounted to deceptive pricing. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad The commission held that the aggregator's actions constituted an 'unfair trade practice' under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo 'A consumer expects fair pricing. Charging the same amount for rides with such a stark distance difference, without reasonable explanation, is deceptive,' the commission noted in its judgment. The court directed the company to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation to the complainant for mental agony and inconvenience, along with Rs 2,000 towards litigation costs. It also advised the firm to revisit its fare algorithm and ensure pricing transparency to avoid misleading consumers—otherwise, passengers bear the brunt of hidden costs. This case adds to the growing list of complaints against app-based ride aggregators, with consumers increasingly questioning surge charges, algorithmic pricing, and lack of accountability.

SC upholds Orissa HC's 2019 order on Senior Advocate designation
SC upholds Orissa HC's 2019 order on Senior Advocate designation

New Indian Express

time3 days ago

  • Politics
  • New Indian Express

SC upholds Orissa HC's 2019 order on Senior Advocate designation

CUTTACK: The Supreme Court has upheld the Orissa High Court's 2019 decision to designate five advocates as senior advocates, setting aside a May 2021 judicial order by the same court that had invalidated the process. A bench comprising Justices R Mahadevan and JB Pardiwala on Monday ruled that the full court of the Orissa High Court had acted within its legal authority under the Orissa (Designation of Senior Advocate) Rules, 2019, particularly sub-rule (9) of Rule 6, when it designated five advocates suo motu on August 17, 2019. The administrative order formalising the designations was issued on August 19, 2019. The May 10, 2021, order, passed on a petition filed by a lawyer, had questioned the legality of the process adopted by the full court, stating that it lacked proper legal sanction. The high court, on its judicial side, had struck down the designations, citing procedural lapses.

How a landmark Kerala High Court judgment recognised existence of transgender families
How a landmark Kerala High Court judgment recognised existence of transgender families

Scroll.in

time3 days ago

  • General
  • Scroll.in

How a landmark Kerala High Court judgment recognised existence of transgender families

Zahhad and Ziya Paval will never forget the call they received on the morning of June 2. On the line was their lawyer, Padma Lakshmi, her voice brimming with excitement. The Kerala High Court had delivered its verdict in a case filed by them in 2023. Their two-year struggle for a simple, yet profoundly important, piece of paper was over. In a landmark decision, Justice Ziyad Rahman AA of the Kerala High Court directed the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation to issue a new birth certificate for their daughter, Zabiya: one that removed the columns for 'father' and 'mother' and simply listed Zahhad and Ziya as her 'parents'. Zahhad, born a woman, identifies as a transgender man and gave birth to Zabiya in February 2023. The child was conceived with Ziya, who was born a man and now identifies as a transgender woman. 'The judgement was totally unexpected and felt too good to be true,' recalls Zahhad, a 25-year-old accountant. For him and Ziya, a 24-year-old professional dancer, this was more than just a legal victory. It was the affirmation of their transgender family. Motherhood and a birth certificate Zahhad and Ziya met through social media and have been together since 2020. They live together in Kozhikode. Zahhad comes from a Christian family in Thiruvananthapuram and Ziya from a Muslim family in Mallapuram. Both of them possess transgender identity cards issued under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. Zahhad's Aadhaar card lists his gender as male and Ziya's shows hers as female. Under the 2019 Act, applicants not need to undergo sex reassignment surgery or any other medical procedure in order to obtain a transgender identity card. Similarly, self-identification is sufficient for gender change on an Aadhaar card. The story began with the couple's desire for a child. 'Becoming a mother is the dream of every woman, including trans women,' Zahhad said. But for transgender couples in India, adoption remains a near-impossible bureaucratic maze. Seeing Ziya's deep-seated wish, Zahhad, a trans man, made a profound decision. He would pause his hormonal therapy for transitioning from female to male – which is a prerequisite for undergoing sex-change surgery – to carry their child. 'My ultimate dream was to provide the gift of motherhood to Ziya,' he said. 'That is what kept him going through all the difficulties.' But the birth of a baby girl in 2023, brought a new, unexpected hurdle. 'It was a very difficult moment when we saw the birth certificate, listing me as mother and Ziya as father,' Zahhad recounted. The document, a foundational identity paper, fundamentally misgendered them. It reversed their lived realities – Zahhad as a trans man and Ziya as a trans woman – and locked them into gender identities they had fought to move beyond. Their immediate concern was for Zabiya. 'We knew that Zabiya could face a lot of difficulties getting an Aadhaar card or passport and other primary documents because of the mismatch between our gender identities and our gender listed on her birth certificate,' Zahhad said. 'This was our main concern.' They knew they had to act, not just for themselves, but for everyone who might follow in their footsteps. 'We immediately thought that this needed to be changed,' he said. 'We also knew that this would be favourable to the whole trans community.' Bureaucratic battle Their first attempts at a solution were met with a bureaucratic wall. They made representations to the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation and filed a grievance on the chief minister's online portal so that the birth certificate simply list them as parents rather than as 'mother' and 'father', but to no avail. The corporation's position was simple: the law, specifically Form No 5 of the Kerala Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 1999 mandated columns for "mother" and "father." Its hands were tied. This forced the couple to seek legal recourse. They turned to Padma Lakshmi, a fellow transgender person and a lawyer known for her work within the trans community. 'Padma is a part of our community and like a sister to us,' said Zahhad. 'That is why it was easy for us to approach her.' Within six months of Zabiya's birth, they filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court. The legal journey was arduous. 'Five different judges heard our case for over a year,' Zahhad pointed out. The long wait was difficult, but their faith in their legal team, which included legal academic Mariyamma AK and Advocate on Record at the Supreme Court, Prashant Padmanabhan never wavered. Lakshmi, who had long known the couple, felt a personal stake in the outcome. 'It was my personal wish to provide the amended birth certificate as a birthday gift to Zabiya,' she told Scroll. Given the lack of knowledge of transgender struggles, arguing the case was not easy. 'The facts of the case are very difficult to understand for a normal person,' she said. 'Finally, Justice Rahman understood that this is the life of a transgender person. They need support from our society.' A 'living' law for a changing society Rahman's judgment responded to the legal challenge with judicial empathy and progressive interpretation. Instead of seeing the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 as a rigid text, the court viewed it as a 'living organism' that must adapt to societal changes. The court acknowledged the petitioners' fears, stating their apprehension of 'confusions and prejudices' was genuine. It recognised that while the law was framed with a binary concept of gender, society had evolved. The court cited landmark Supreme Court rulings, including the NALSA judgment of 2014 which granted legal recognition to transgender persons and the Deepika Singh case of 2022, which recognised 'atypical' families outside the traditional notion of a married mother and father, holding that such 'family units' must not face disadvantage under law. Rahman's judgement quoted a powerful passage from the Deepika Singh verdict. 'Such atypical manifestations of the family unit are equally deserving not only of protection under law but also of the benefits available under social welfare legislation,' the apex court had observed. 'The black letter of the law must not be relied upon to disadvantage families which are different from traditional ones.' Rahman's solution was innovative and practical. He noted that the Registration of Births and Deaths Act and the Kerala Registration of Births and Deaths Rules only required registrars to furnish 'extracts' of the birth register, not an exact copy of all information. This meant the birth certificate could be modified to reflect the parents' identities without altering the primary register that the municipal corporation possesses. The court directed the corporation to issue a new certificate for Zabiya – one that respected her parents' gender identities by simply naming them as "parents". The court asserted its duty to intervene when laws fail to keep pace with social reality, stating that the case was fit for 'social justice adjudication' to carry out 'social context judging'. It defined these as being sensitive and positively inclined towards a socio-economically weaker party. This prevents, the court said, the miscarriage of justice caused by the imbalance between unequal parties in an adversarial process. A victory for trans rights For the couple, the verdict is a vindication. 'This is not just a victory for Zahhad and Ziya; it is a victory for the whole trans community,' Zahhad said. He was candid about the immense challenges they had faced – from his health complications post-delivery to negative comments from society and even some within their own community. Yet, their story is also one of profound love and support. Ziya cared for Zahhad and Zabiya for a year while he recovered his health. He called their partnership 'a gift from God'. Their only wish now is to provide a stable, loving home for their daughter, who already enjoys dancing and singing, Zahhad said with a giggle, just like Ziya. The judgment has opened a door, offering a glimmer of hope that the right to family is not beyond the reach of transgender persons in India. But Zahhad offered a word of caution given that India was still socially conservative when it came to trangender rights. 'Every trans person needs a family,' he said. 'But they should think and then proceed … because it is not an easy task.'

Lions boss makes call on son, Wallabies set for opener
Lions boss makes call on son, Wallabies set for opener

The Advertiser

time3 days ago

  • Sport
  • The Advertiser

Lions boss makes call on son, Wallabies set for opener

Andy Farrell is set to overlook son and four-time tourist Owen for the British and Irish Lions' series opener in Brisbane. But the Wallabies are poised to create some family history of their own with 22-year-old flyhalf Tom Lynagh tipped to wear the No.10 on Saturday, 36 years after champion father Michael did the same. The sides will confirm their squads on Thursday afternoon but it's expected former England captain Farrell will be beaten to a spot on the bench by countryman Marcus Smith. Farrell was a late call-up after Elliot Daly's (arm) tour-ending injury, despite not playing international rugby for nearly two years and enduring an injury-hit season in France with Racing 92. But he impressed off the bench in Saturday's thrashing of the AUNZ Invitational XV and looked a chance to provide cover in the centres and No.10 for the Test opener. "I'd pick him. It's not my job, but I know how much of a competitor he is," Wallabies lock Will Skelton, who won the English Premiership in 2018 and 2019, and 2019 European Cup alongside him at Saracens, said. "You could see how well he played on the weekend after a few months off. He hadn't been playing much, but we'll be ready if he does play. "He's demanding and has high standards. That's what you want in a team." But father and coach Farrell has reportedly instead favoured fellow Englishman Smith, who can play fullback or flyhalf. Finn Russell is set to wear the No.10, with Irish duo Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan in the No.9 and 15, and Russell's Scottish teammates Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones in the centres. But exciting flanker Henry Pollock, who boasts just one Test for England earlier this year, has also reportedly missed a spot on the bench. Italy-born, England-raised Lynagh finished school and moved to Australia in 2021 and has flourished under Wallabies coach-in-waiting Les Kiss as the Queensland Reds' main man for the last two years. He boasts just three Test appearances off the bench and is tipped to be named alongside veteran scrumhalf Jake Gordon in a fresh halves pairing for the crucial first Test. Michael won a World Cup for the Wallabies and wore the No.10 against the Lions in 1989. They would be the first father and son to play for the Wallabies against the Lions in 126 years of touring history. Skelton is set to return after missing the Wallabies' only lead-in Test but influential backrower Rob Valetini (calf) was less likely to be back in a blow to the side's crucial ball-carrying stocks. Reds hooker Matt Faessler, who scored a historic hattrick in his last Test appearance, is also poised to return after he started for the Reds instead of playing against Fiji in his return from a hamstring injury. Andy Farrell is set to overlook son and four-time tourist Owen for the British and Irish Lions' series opener in Brisbane. But the Wallabies are poised to create some family history of their own with 22-year-old flyhalf Tom Lynagh tipped to wear the No.10 on Saturday, 36 years after champion father Michael did the same. The sides will confirm their squads on Thursday afternoon but it's expected former England captain Farrell will be beaten to a spot on the bench by countryman Marcus Smith. Farrell was a late call-up after Elliot Daly's (arm) tour-ending injury, despite not playing international rugby for nearly two years and enduring an injury-hit season in France with Racing 92. But he impressed off the bench in Saturday's thrashing of the AUNZ Invitational XV and looked a chance to provide cover in the centres and No.10 for the Test opener. "I'd pick him. It's not my job, but I know how much of a competitor he is," Wallabies lock Will Skelton, who won the English Premiership in 2018 and 2019, and 2019 European Cup alongside him at Saracens, said. "You could see how well he played on the weekend after a few months off. He hadn't been playing much, but we'll be ready if he does play. "He's demanding and has high standards. That's what you want in a team." But father and coach Farrell has reportedly instead favoured fellow Englishman Smith, who can play fullback or flyhalf. Finn Russell is set to wear the No.10, with Irish duo Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan in the No.9 and 15, and Russell's Scottish teammates Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones in the centres. But exciting flanker Henry Pollock, who boasts just one Test for England earlier this year, has also reportedly missed a spot on the bench. Italy-born, England-raised Lynagh finished school and moved to Australia in 2021 and has flourished under Wallabies coach-in-waiting Les Kiss as the Queensland Reds' main man for the last two years. He boasts just three Test appearances off the bench and is tipped to be named alongside veteran scrumhalf Jake Gordon in a fresh halves pairing for the crucial first Test. Michael won a World Cup for the Wallabies and wore the No.10 against the Lions in 1989. They would be the first father and son to play for the Wallabies against the Lions in 126 years of touring history. Skelton is set to return after missing the Wallabies' only lead-in Test but influential backrower Rob Valetini (calf) was less likely to be back in a blow to the side's crucial ball-carrying stocks. Reds hooker Matt Faessler, who scored a historic hattrick in his last Test appearance, is also poised to return after he started for the Reds instead of playing against Fiji in his return from a hamstring injury. Andy Farrell is set to overlook son and four-time tourist Owen for the British and Irish Lions' series opener in Brisbane. But the Wallabies are poised to create some family history of their own with 22-year-old flyhalf Tom Lynagh tipped to wear the No.10 on Saturday, 36 years after champion father Michael did the same. The sides will confirm their squads on Thursday afternoon but it's expected former England captain Farrell will be beaten to a spot on the bench by countryman Marcus Smith. Farrell was a late call-up after Elliot Daly's (arm) tour-ending injury, despite not playing international rugby for nearly two years and enduring an injury-hit season in France with Racing 92. But he impressed off the bench in Saturday's thrashing of the AUNZ Invitational XV and looked a chance to provide cover in the centres and No.10 for the Test opener. "I'd pick him. It's not my job, but I know how much of a competitor he is," Wallabies lock Will Skelton, who won the English Premiership in 2018 and 2019, and 2019 European Cup alongside him at Saracens, said. "You could see how well he played on the weekend after a few months off. He hadn't been playing much, but we'll be ready if he does play. "He's demanding and has high standards. That's what you want in a team." But father and coach Farrell has reportedly instead favoured fellow Englishman Smith, who can play fullback or flyhalf. Finn Russell is set to wear the No.10, with Irish duo Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan in the No.9 and 15, and Russell's Scottish teammates Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones in the centres. But exciting flanker Henry Pollock, who boasts just one Test for England earlier this year, has also reportedly missed a spot on the bench. Italy-born, England-raised Lynagh finished school and moved to Australia in 2021 and has flourished under Wallabies coach-in-waiting Les Kiss as the Queensland Reds' main man for the last two years. He boasts just three Test appearances off the bench and is tipped to be named alongside veteran scrumhalf Jake Gordon in a fresh halves pairing for the crucial first Test. Michael won a World Cup for the Wallabies and wore the No.10 against the Lions in 1989. They would be the first father and son to play for the Wallabies against the Lions in 126 years of touring history. Skelton is set to return after missing the Wallabies' only lead-in Test but influential backrower Rob Valetini (calf) was less likely to be back in a blow to the side's crucial ball-carrying stocks. Reds hooker Matt Faessler, who scored a historic hattrick in his last Test appearance, is also poised to return after he started for the Reds instead of playing against Fiji in his return from a hamstring injury.

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