Justice Ranjan Gogoi to be Next Chief Justice of India, Oath on 3 Oct
New Delhi : Sticking to the convention of the senior-most judge succeeding the incumbent CJI, Justice Ranjan Gogoi has been named the next Chief Justice of India. He is likely to take oath on 3 October.
As per convention, the outgoing Chief Justice sends the recommendation about his successor 30 days before he is to demit office so that the Chief Justice-designate is named well in time.
The Union Law Ministry had written to Chief Justice of India Justice Dipak Misra requesting him to forward the name of the judge who will succeed him upon his retirement on 2 October.
The move comes after months of speculation in legal circles over whether Justice Ranjan Gogoi (the next in line according to seniority) could be superseded when current CJI Misra retires on 2 October 2018. Justice Gogoi was one of the four Supreme Court judges who held an unprecedented press conference in January 2018, raising concerns about the administration of the Supreme Court and the independence of the judiciary.
Rumours that his involvement in the press conference had earned the ire of the central government had become so prominent that Union Minister for Law and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad was openly asked about it at a recent press conference.
Courtesy : thequint.com
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Gehlot changes profile pic to 'Save Aravalli', asks Centre to reconsider definition
Jaipur (PTI): Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday urged the Centre to reconsider its definition of the Aravallis, warning that any damage to the mountain range posed a serious threat to the ecological future of north India.
Gehlot, a former Rajasthan chief minister, changed his social media profile picture in support of the nationwide 'SaveAravalli' campaign amid growing debate over mining and environmental safeguards in the Aravalli Range.
It was his symbolic protest against the new interpretation under which hills lower than 100 metres are no longer being recognised as part of the Aravalli system, he said.
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"The Aravalli cannot be judged by tape measures or height alone. It must be assessed by its ecological importance," Gehlot said, adding that the revised definition raised "a big question" over the future of north India.
Appealing to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Gehlot said the issue must be reconsidered in the interest of future generations and environmental security. He also urged citizens to participate in the campaign by changing their display pictures online to draw attention to the issue.
He said the Aravalli range functioned as a natural green wall against the expansion of the Thar desert and extreme heatwaves, protecting Delhi, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Opening up smaller hills and so-called gap areas for mining would allow desertification to advance rapidly, he warned.
Gehlot also flagged concerns over air pollution, saying the hills and forests of the Aravallis acted as the "lungs" of the National Capital Region by checking dust storms and absorbing pollutants.
"When pollution levels are so alarming even with the Aravalli standing, one can imagine how disastrous the situation will be without it," he said.
Highlighting the water crisis, the former chief minister said the rocky terrain of the Aravallis played a crucial role in groundwater recharge by channelising rainwater underground.
"If the hills are destroyed, drinking water shortages will intensify, wildlife will disappear and the entire ecology will be pushed into danger," he said.
Gehlot argued that, from a scientific perspective, the Aravallis was a continuous chain and that even smaller hillocks were as vital as higher peaks.
