Bhim Army chief taken to AIIMS for follow-up treatment
New Delhi: Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad, arrested in connection with violence during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest in Old Delhi's Daryaganj, was taken to AIIMS on Monday for "follow-up consultation and treatment".
Aazad is suffering from polycythemia, a condition in which the body makes too many red blood cells.
Sources at AIIMS said Aazad has been undergoing treatment at the Department of Hematology for quite some time. "He has been brought for follow-up consultation and treatment. He is undergoing investigations and will be soon sent back," a source said.
On January 9, a Delhi court had directed Tihar Jail authorities to provide treatment for polycythemia to Aazad at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the national capital.
In his plea to the court, Aazad had said he suffered from polycythemia and "requires continuous checkup from the doctors concerned from AIIMS, who are supervising his treatment for a long time."
If treatment was not provided urgently, it might lead to cardiac arrest, the plea said. The Bhim Army chief was sent to judicial custody on December 21.
Aazad's outfit had organised a march from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar against the amended Citizenship Act on December 20, without police permission.
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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.
