Constitution of India

Yes, we are angry. Yes, the country is in a state of disbelief, shock and outrage after the dismal outcome in the Bhopal gas tragedy. There is no beating about the bush on this issue. It burns in our conscience that it took 25 years and many delays in legal proceedings for convicting the criminals. The worst part is that it is more of a half-baked punishment, isn’t it? Procedural delays are part of our existence now, like the trash that we automatically tend to dump, not in waste bins, but out there to rot on public roads and places. We agree that the lower courts in India need many things going to keep itself from crumbling but nothing can be an excuse for the people who lost their loved ones and had their lives turned upside down because of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Why are we talking about the same thing, again? The thing is, if we don’t talk about it, we will NEVER be able to create an opportunity for change.

A widowed daughter-in-law is entitled to get maintenance from her father-in-law under section 19, of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956. Now the question arises whether a daughter-in-law can claim maintenance from the property of her mother-in-laws under Hindu law. Here’s an interesting real life saas-bahu case to take this discussion forward.

Indian law on issues pertaining to hazardous exposure require strict action. To begin with, lets talk about lead exposure. Lead is a highly poisonous and non-biodegradable element that exists in the earth’s crust. Are you wondering how it affects you? Exposure to it can cause several health hazards whether it is inhaled, ingested or absorbed via skin.

Indian laws on education don’t impress today’s smart young students. The plan of the government is to introduce a common curriculum for Class 12 Maths and Science. This has met with opposition from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). Let’s not forget, the NCERT is the body responsible for preparing school text books and curriculum. The push for a common curriculum for maths and science, made by the Council of School Board of Education (COBSE), is seen as a transgression of role by the council. A letter by Prof G Ravindra, Director NCERT, to the CBSE president states that the COBSE does not have the right to conduct the curriculum revision exercise, since curriculum preparation and revision has been the right and forte of NCERT since years.

Kerala, the land of lush backwaters and high literacy rate, figures in the news, this time, for its ‘bold moves’ in the field of education. The state boasts a literacy rate of 90.92 percent and a dropout rate of 0.83 percent. Socially relevant, the next three stories reflect well on Kerala. One by one, lets understand how the right to education is translated into initiatives by the government of Kerala.

The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956, regulate the laws pertaining to minority and guardianship among Hindus. It extends to whole of India except for the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Few important definitions under the Act are:

In every family, certain relationships impose legal obligations and responsibilities depending on the nature of the relationship. In Hindu law, a daughter has a right to claim maintenance from her father. The term ‘maintenance’ includes provisions for basic facilities, such as food, clothing, shelter, education and medical treatment. On the event of the father’s death, the unmarried or widowed daughters can be considered as his dependents and they can claim maintenance from his property.

Most of the companies are aware of the fact that money is a powerful incentive to motivate and increase the morale of workers, particularly in the industrial sector. Ensuring productivity is of paramount importance in industrial development. That is why employers often make extra cash payments, other than the wages or salary to the employees, which is known as bonus. Bonus is often directly linked to performance of an employee.

For many of us, passing the class 10 board exams was an ambitious challenge, sometimes a painful one too, because of parental pressures and even neighbors’ avid curiosity about the final score! In India, class 10 board exams served as every student’s litmus test of proving his/her worth. Soon, this will be something of a vintage experience as it is proposed to be done away with, completely. Surprised about how fast Indian laws on education are changing? Don't be, there's more!

The articles 72 and 161 of the Indian Constitution add a human touch to the country’s judicial process by conferring powers on the President and the Governors of various states, respectively to grant pardon or show mercy to criminals sentenced to death. These two articles of the Constitution of India endow the President and the Governor with the power to view the mercy applications of convicts with kindness. They can review the applications without having to view it from a legal angle like that of legal experts who base their opinion solely on the basis of available evidence and the testimony of witnesses.