Anti- CAA stir in Assam: PM Modi unlikely to inaugurate 3rd Khelo India Youth Games 2020
Guwahati, Jan 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to inaugurate the 3rd Khelo India Youth Games 2020 here on January 10 as BJP Assam unit is yet to receive confirmation about his programme.
An invitation was sent to the PMO to invite Modi to inaugurate the Khelo India Youth Games but no confirmation on it has been received, BJP state unit spokesman Rupam Goswami told PTI on Wednesday.
"There is no talk about the prime minister coming to Guwahati to inaugurate Khelo India. Sending an invitation to the PM is a formality. We have not received any confirmation from the PMO to our invitation," he said when asked whether Modi has cancelled his visit to Assam, which is witnessing protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act.
Various organisations in the state have threatened to intensify their stir if the prime minister came for the inaugural ceremony.
There is speculation in the media whether Modi would come to Guwahati to inaugurate the Youth Games and had cancelled his visit due to the ongoing protests against the CAA.
Meanwhile, many of the expected 11,000 participants of the Khelo India Youth Games from across the country have started arriving here, officials said.
The Games will continue till January 22.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
