Veteran Congress leader PP Thankachan dies at 86
Kochi, Sep 11 (PTI): Veteran Congress leader and former Kerala Assembly Speaker P P Thankachan died at a private hospital in Aluva near here on Thursday.
He was 86.
Thankachan, who had been under treatment for age-related ailments for the past month, also suffered from a chest infection and was on ventilator support. He breathed his last around 4.30 pm, hospital authorities said.
Born in Angamaly on July 29, 1939, Thankachan entered active politics through the Congress. He became the chairman of the Perumbavoor Municipal Council at the age of 26. He was first elected to the Kerala Assembly from Perumbavoor in 1982.
He went on to represent the constituency till 2001.
He served as the Opposition Chief Whip between 1987 and 1991 and later as the state’s Agriculture Minister from May 1995 to 1996. In 2004, he became the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
Thankachan also held several other positions, including UDF Convenor, member of the Rubber Board, and chairman of Kerala Marketfed. His wife is TV Thankamma. He has two daughters and a son. The funeral will be held later.
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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The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.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.
