Latest news with #Meghwal
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Indian courts burdened with backlog of 5.29 crore cases: Official data
Indian courts are burdened with a massive load of 5.29 crore pending cases, official data up to July 21 available on the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) showed on Sunday. The maximum number of 4.65 crore cases are pending in district and subordinate courts, followed by 63.30 lakh cases in High Courts and 86,742 cases in the Supreme Court, the data showed. Apart from the burgeoning case backlog, the district and subordinate courts appear to have struggled to work at full strength. According to the Department of Justice, as against a sanctioned strength of 25,843 judicial officers as on July 21, 2015, the lower courts are working with a strength of 21,122. 'Filling up of vacancies in District and Subordinate judiciary falls within the domain of the State/UT governments and High Courts concerned,' according to a statement by the Law and Justice Ministry. As a measure to reduce backlog, arrears committees have been set up in all 25 High Courts to clear cases pending for more than five years, and similar arrears committees have now been set up under District Courts as well, the Ministry said. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a recent reply in Parliament, shared details of government measures taken to fill vacancies in the Supreme Court and the High Courts. 'From May 1, 2014, to July 21, 2025, 70 Judges have been appointed in the Supreme Court. Apart from this, 1,058 new judges were appointed, and 794 Additional Judges were made permanent in the High Courts during the same period. The sanctioned strength of judges of the High Courts has increased from 906 in May 2014 to 1,122 till date,' said Meghwal. He also informed that Fast Track Courts have been established for dealing with cases of heinous crimes, cases involving senior citizens, women and children. As of June 30, 2025, 865 Fast Track Courts are functional across the country.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Word ‘secularism' to stay: Mayawati welcomes Centre's assurance
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Friday welcomed Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal's statement in Parliament, ruling out any intent to remove words like 'secularism' from the Constitution's Preamble. In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister described Meghwal's assurance as 'appropriate and commendable' and a 'relief' for the BSP as well as people against any 'unjustified change or tampering' with the Constitution drafted by Dr B R Ambedkar. She reiterated that Ambedkar crafted the Constitution with the vision of ensuring equal respect for all religions and establishing an egalitarian society, a vision clearly reflected throughout the document. In a written reply, Law Minister Meghwal on Thursday said while there may be discussions or debates in certain public or political circles on the removal of the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' from the Preamble, 'no formal decision or proposal has been announced by the government' regarding amendment to these terms. 'The government's official stand is that there is no current plan or intention to reconsider or remove the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' from the Preamble and any such change will require thorough deliberations and broad consensus,' said the minister. Mayawati emphasised that the Constitution's essence of 'unity in diversity' provides India, the most populous country, with an unparalleled global identity as various religions and diverse cultures dwell here. She concluded by saying that it is a 'good thing' that the Centre has clarified its position and expressed hope that it will remain firm on its stand and not yield to any external pressure.
The Print
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
No plans to drop ‘socialist' or ‘secular' from Constitution, govt tells Rajya Sabha
'Any discussions regarding amendments to the preamble would require thorough deliberation and broad consensus, but as of now, the government has not initiated any formal process to change these provisions,' Meghwal added. Responding to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman, the Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated in a written reply on Thursday that 'the government's official stand is that there is no current plan or intention to reconsider or remove the words 'socialism' and secularism' from the preamble of the Constitution'. New Delhi: The Central government has no current plan or intention to reconsider or remove socialist or secular from the Constitution, nor have any proceedings been initiated for the same, government has informed the Rajya Sabha. The Union Minister mentioned that the Supreme Court has already affirmed the validity of 42nd Constitutional amendment in 1976, which inserted the words socialist and secular in the preamble. 'In November 2024, the Supreme Court of India in the case of Dr Balram Singh and others Vs Union of India and another's, the Court has also dismissed petitions challenging the 1976 amendment (42nd Constitutional Amendment), affirming that Parliament's power to amend the Constitution extends to the Preamble. The Court clarified that 'socialism' in the India context signifies a welfare state and does not impede private sector growth, while 'secularism' is integral in the Constitution's basic structure,' Meghwal said in the reply. He said that while certain office bearers of social organizations have expressed their opinions to remove the words to create public discourse, this has not changed the official stance of the government. Referring to the statements of office bearers of certain social organisations, he stated, 'Regarding the atmosphere created by office bearers of some social organisations, it is possible that certain groups are expressing opinions or advocating for reconsideration of these words. Such activities can create a public discourse or atmosphere around the issue, but do not necessarily reflect the official stance or actions of the government,' he added. In June earlier, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale had said that terms like 'Socialism' and 'Secularism' were forcibly inserted into the Constitution — a move that needs to be reconsidered. The RSS leader was addressing a program on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, jointly organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (under the Ministry of Culture), where he said that the Emergency imposed on the country on June 25, 1975 was the 'biggest blow to Indian democracy.' The comments were later criticised by several Opposition leaders. This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. Also Read: The Preamble won't be changed back to the original. Here's why
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Request you to examine yourself': Chair Jagdambika Pal adjourns House until Monday amid Oppn sloganeering
Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day within a few minutes of reconvening at 2 pm Friday, despite Chair Jagdambika Pal's repeated appeals, which were drowned by sloganeering and interruptions from protesting opposition MPs. Seeking to remind Opposition members that repeated adjournments of the House were 'not an achievement' but a loss for everyone involved, especially the people of India, Pal appealed to them to take their places, referring to the scheduled proceedings related to 200 Private Members Bills to no avail. 'I request you to examine yourself: whose favour is this chaos in?… The people will not certainly benefit from it. The people who sent you to this House to discuss and find solutions to the difficulties they face,' said Pal. 'This day is for you…200 Private Member Bills… Which are as important as any Bill the government itself brings, are scheduled to be tabled… They are your Bills,' he added. This was followed by Pal's nod for the taking up of The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024, for further consideration, and passing in Lok Sabha by Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal. Responding to the interruptions during the process, Meghwal asked if the Opposition was against these communities in the state since it was refusing to allow the discussion to take place. Addressing the protesting MPs again, Pal sought to underscore that there appeared to be no improvement in the state of affairs in the House, despite Speaker Om Birla's all-party meeting during the adjournment period. Asking them to seek the opinion of their constituents on whether their current conduct was why they had been elected, Pal said, '…ask them whether they want to see you indulge in hungama or expect you to discuss the sorrows and problems of the people.' 'What is this deadlock triggered by? You want the government to answer your questions, the government is ready to,' he said, pointing to enthusiastic approval from Meghwal. With no seeming avenue of a debate on the Bill in sight amid the din, Pal adjourned Lok Sabha proceedings until 11 am Monday, July 28. Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. Over the last 15 years, he has covered bureaucracy & politics, crime, traffic & intelligence, the Election Commission of India & Urban Development among other beats. He is an English (Literature) graduate from Zakir Husain Delhi College, DU & specialised in Print at the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. He tweets @jatinpaul ... Read More
News18
5 days ago
- Politics
- News18
'No Current Plan': Govt On Considering To Remove 'Socialism', 'Secularism' From Preamble
Last Updated: Government said there is no plan to remove 'socialism' and 'secularism' from the Preamble. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated no formal actions have been initiated. Government on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that there is 'no current plan' to remove the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' from the Preamble of the Constitution. Furthermore, government also said that there are no 'formal" initiations from its side to remove these words. 'Socialism' and 'secularism' were inserted into the Preamble during the Emergency period. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a written reply, said the discussion could be among the political circles but 'government did not announce any formal course of action' regarding this. 'The government's official stand is that there is no current plan or intention to reconsider or remove the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' from the Preamble of the Constitution. Any discussions regarding amendments to the Preamble would require thorough deliberation and broad consensus, but as of now, the government has not initiated any formal process to change these provisions," the minister's reply was quoted by PTI. Meghwal also highlighted that in November 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions challenging the 1976 (42nd Constitutional Amendment), which confirmed that Parliament's power to amend the Constitution includes the Preamble. The court clarified that 'socialism" in the Indian context means a welfare state and does not hinder private sector growth, while 'secularism" remains a fundamental aspect of the Constitution's basic structure. Regarding the atmosphere created by the office-bearers of some social organisations, Meghwal mentioned that certain groups might be expressing opinions or advocating for reconsideration of these terms. 'Such activities can create a public discourse or atmosphere around the issue, but this does not necessarily reflect the official stance or actions of the government," he said. view comments First Published: July 25, 2025, 09:59 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
