वो फ़नकार क्यों अलविदा कह गया

यह कविता भारत एवं विश्व में एक विख्यात कलाकार, श्री इरफ़ान खान जी को, जिन्हे हम ने कुछ वर्ष पहले खो दिया,  एवं उनके अभिनय के लिए समर्पित है। 

रूपहले परदे पे छाप थी जिसकी,

अनगिनत ही एक परिमाप थी जिसकी,

जिसने था सबको ही कायल बनाया,

जीने का हर फ़लसफ़ा था दिखाया,

वो फ़नकार क्यों अलविदा कह गया। 

वो फ़नकार क्यों अलविदा कह गया। 

नाटक हो या हो छोटा परदा,

उसने है सबको भावुक बनाया।  

कभी गुदगुदाया, 

कभी था रुलाया। 

अभिनय भी ऐसा कि क्या भूल पाएं,

ताली औरआँसू कभी रुक न पाएं। 

उसकी चमक भी कोई क्या छुपाये,

जब पश्चिम में भी उसने परचम लहराया। 

हो 'मक़बूल', 'हैदर', 'चंद्रकांता' या 'हासिल',

उसका हुनर था तारीफ़ के काबिल।      

कभी बाग़ी बनके बन्दूक थामी,

कभी वो  दरोगा, कभी छात्र नेता।

कभी था वो क़ातिल, कभी मसखरा था ,

हर किरदार में वो हमेशा खरा था।    

वो बहरूपिया अब कहाँ रुक गया ,

वो फ़नकार क्यों अलविदा कह गया। 

Thoughts are Warheads

Don't ever diminish the power of words. Words move hearts and hearts move limbs.

 -Hamza Yusuf.

In our day today life there has not been a single day when we don't come across the news of discord between two nations. Before the current epidemic of Corona, we were more or less concerned about nuclear warheards and missiles. 

But we often forget about the warheads that are within our minds, i.e., our thoughts. We often undermine its impact. Our thoughts, delivered by our words can go both sides. 

But there is just one difference between our warheads and nuclear warheads. While nuclear warheads merely tend to destroy our civilization, our thoughts tend to impact others, either ways, negatively or positively.

So, this is my message to students, who are devoid of motivation and whose patience is wearing thin. Dear friends, you are warriors of 21st century and use this warhead of your thought to spread happiness or to positively effect the society.

Nisha Priya Bhatia v. Union of India: On Sexual Harassment and Legality of Rule 135 of RAW Rules.

The SC in the present judgment dealt with the constitutionality of Rule 135 of the Research and Analysis Wing (Recruitment, Cadre and Services) Rules, 1975.

Rule 135 of the RAW (Recruitment, Cadre and Services) Rules, 1975 gives power to the Central government to voluntary retire RAW Officers whose identity is exposed or compromised.

In the present case, an ex-female employee of RAW was compulsorily retired after she made allegations of sexual harassment against two senior officials of RAW.

Constitutionality of the Impugned Rule.

Appellant argued that Rule 135 is in direct contravention of Article 311 of the Constitution, which deals with “dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of persons employed in civil capacities under the Union or the State”. The court held the Rule 135 of the RAW (Recruitment, Cadre and Services) Rules constitutional, because:

1. Until and unless the action taken against a public servant is in the nature of punishment, the need for conducting an inquiry coupled with the grant of an opportunity of being heard, as envisaged under Article 311, does not arise at all.

1. The Rule has been carved out as a special provision and is premised on the doctrine of necessity. It forms a small subset of the genus of Article 309 deals strictly with cases of “exposure” of “intelligence officers” who become unemployable in the Organisation for reasons of security.”

The Court concluded that the effect of any action taken under Rule 135 does not entail any penal consequence for the employee and, therefore, it cannot be put at the same pedestal as an action of dismissal or removal, and no inquiry or opportunity of hearing as envisaged under Article 311 is required while taking an action under this Rule.

Order for Compensation for Violation of Fundamental Rights.

The bench ordered the Respondent, (Union of India) to pay compensation worth Rs.1,00,000/-­ to the Petitioner for violation of her fundamental rights to life and dignity caused by improper handling of her complaint of sexual harassment.

The bench observed that time taken to process the stated complaint and improper constitution of the first Complaints Committee (intended or unintended) in violation of the Vishaka Guidelines, constituted undignified treatment and violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioner, more particularly Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

Widening the ambit of law regarding sexual harassment, the bench observed that apart from the actual commission of acts of harassment, the approach of law also covers situations wherein the woman employee is subjected to prejudice, hostility, discriminatory attitude and humiliation in day to day functioning at the workplace. 

Important Legal News: May 2019

Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India.

• In petitions, challenging the Scheme, filed by the NGOs Common Cause and Association for Democratic Reforms(ADR) and CPI (M), the SC declined to stay the controversial Electoral Bonds Scheme observing that the question could not be determined on the basis of a short hearing.
• But the bench headed by the then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi directed all parties to furnish by May 30 information as to the donations received by way of Electoral Bonds (including the identity of the donors, amounts received, details of payments, bank accounts etc) to the Election Commission in sealed covers. 

Satish Chandra Verma v. Union of India.

• The SC held the right to travel abrod as an important basic human right as it nourishes independent and self-determining creative character of the individual, not only by extending his freedoms of action, but also by extending the scope of his experience. 

Important Legal News: April 2019.

• Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance 2019.

• Objective: To ban Unregulated Deposit Schemes and to protect the interest of the depositors.
• It aims to prevent such unregulated deposit schemes (not registered with any government regulators like RBI or SEBI) or arrangements at their inception.
• It also makes soliciting, inviting or accepting deposits pursuant to an unregulated deposited scheme as a punishable offence.

• Wildlife First & Ors. Vs. Ministry of Environment & Forests & Ors. 


• SC ordered eviction of nearly one million persons from forest lands across states, who failed to establish their claims as forest-dwellers under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006(Forests Rights Act).

International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019.

• Objective: to set up a unified authority to regulate all financial services in IFSCs in the country.
• An IFSC caters to customers outside the jurisdiction of the domestic economy. Such centres deal with flows of finance, financial products and services across borders. 
• The authority will exercise powers and perform functions of RBI, SEBI, IRDAI And PFRDA.

Govt of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India.

• The SC held following: 
1. Control of services: bench differed. Hence decided to refer it to a larger bench.
2. Power of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB): ACB is under exclusive authority of LG & Delhi government has no power in this regard.
3. Appointment of Special Public Prosecutor: LG is bound by aid and advise of Council of Ministers.

Rolls Royce: History

Rolls Royce Journey by LEX-57 the lex engine on Scribd

General Studies: April 2019 PDF

Lexengine_ General Studies ... by anoopuni4u on Scribd

COVID-19: Measures and Mantras.

Aarogya Setu: Multilingual Mobile App.

• Object: alert a person wherever he comes close to COVID-19 infected person within a distance of 6 feet.
• Developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• It is a tracking app available on Google Play Store.
• It helps tracking coronavirus infection by using Smartphones GPS and Bluetooth system.
• App has access to government's database of known cases.
• Data of the person will be shared only with the government and not with 3rd parties.

Corona Kavach 

• An app to  map location of a COVID-19 positive patient through GPS.
• Alerts a person if he has crossed a Corona Positive patient.
• Jointly developed by MeitY and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

PM Modi's 7- point Mantras during lockdown extension.

1. Take care of the family members who have history of health issues and elderly.
2. Lock-down and social distancing must be strictly followed.
3. Follow AYUSH ministry's advisory in order to increase immunity.
4. Download Arogya setu App to stop spread of COVID-19. Encourage others to do so as well.
5. Try to help poor as much as possible.
6. Don't lay off employees during the lock-down.
7. Salute the COVID warriors and help them.

COVID-19: Technology at Service of Justice System

Case Name: IN RE: GUIDELINES FOR COURT FUNCTIONING THROUGH VIDEO. CONFERENCING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

Even as the world is going through turbulent situation, the institution of justice delivery system can never afforded to be brought to a halt. It has been rightly remarked by Martin Luther King Jr., 

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere".

Hence, the current situation calls for a robust justice delivery system across the world. In this regard, the Supreme Court of India has left no stone unturned to ensure speedy justice delivery to every segment of the society.

Guidelines:

Given that social distancing is the need of the hour to prevent communication of COVID-19, the apex court exercised its power under Article 142 (inherent powers) to balance the public health and justice delivery.

It issued a slew of guidelines to streamline functioning of courts via video conferencing during national lockdown.

These guidelines are:

1. The measures that have been and that shall be taken by this Court and by the High Courts, to reduce the need for the physical presence of all stakeholders within court premises and to secure the functioning of courts in consonance with social distancing guidelines and best public health practices shall be deemed to be lawful.
2. The Supreme Court of India and High Courts have been authorized to adopt measures required to ensure the robust functioning of the judicial system through the use of video conferencing technologies;
3. In light of the peculiarities of the judicial system in every state, every High Court is authorised to determine the modalities which are suitable to the temporary transition to the use of video conferencing technologies;
4. The concerned courts shall maintain a helpline to ensure that any complaint in regard to the quality or audibility of feed shall be communicated during the proceeding or immediately after its conclusion. No grievance can be raised afterwards. 
5. The District Courts in each State shall adopt the mode of Video Conferencing prescribed by the concerned High Court.
6. The Court shall duly notify and make available the facilities for video conferencing for such litigants who do not have the means or access to video conferencing facilities. 
7. Until appropriate rules are framed by the High Courts, video conferencing shall be mainly employed for hearing arguments whether at the trial stage or at the appellate stage. 
• But evidence shall not be recorded without the mutual consent of both the parties by video conferencing. 
• If it is necessary to record evidence in a Court room the presiding officer shall ensure that appropriate distance is maintained between any two individuals in the Court.

Calendar 2020: Rolls Royce clicked by Moto G 5 Plus eyes.