Drone-like object spotted over CRPF camp in Chhattisgarh
Raipur: A drone-like object was spotted flying over a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Chhattisgarh's naxal-affected Sukma district, an official said on Saturday. Similar light-emitting objects had been spotted flying near camps of CRPF in the district thrice in October last year.
A drone-like object was sighted for about 15 minutes in the sky over the Puswada camp of the CRPF on the highly-sensitive Dornapal-Jagargunda axis on Friday night, Sukma Superintendent of Police Shalabh Sinha told PTI.
"We launched our UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle or drone) to track its movement. However, the light of the suspected drone went off and it disappeared," he added.
The object was similar to those seen flying over security forces' camps in Kistaram and Pallodi area of the district in October, the SP said. It was yet to be ascertained if Maoists were operating these drones, he added.
Sukma, around 400 km away from state capitalRaipur, is one of the worst naxal-hit districtsin the country and shares borders with Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. A senior police official posted in Bastar said there were reports that naxals were trying show their lower-rung cadres that they had access to hi-tech equipment in order to motivate them.
"Naxals need not use drones to find the layout of security forces' camps in their core areas," he said. It was also unlikely that Naxals were using drones to keep a watch on the movement of security forces as drones can be shot down easily," the official said.
"But recently we have got inputs that naxals were showing video clips of police camps, which might have been recorded through drones, to their lower-rung cadres in some interior villages," he said.
The objective was to show their strength to the cadres and motivate them, the official added. Flying drones over camps could also be intended to create a "psychological pressure" on the security forces, he said.
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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.
