iPhone 17 launch triggers frenzied scenes across India
New Delhi: The launch of Apple’s latest smartphone lineup, the iPhone 17 series, witnessed unprecedented scenes across major Indian cities on Friday, as large crowds gathered outside Apple Stores well before the official opening time. In several locations, the situation escalated into chaos, with reports of scuffles and inadequate crowd control measures.
All four of Apple’s flagship stores in India — located in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Pune — commenced sales at 8:00 a.m., but enthusiastic customers began queuing up as early as the previous evening. At the BKC Jio World Drive store in Mumbai, tensions escalated when individuals allegedly attempted to bypass the queue, resulting in physical altercations. Videos released by PTI showed several individuals engaging in shoving and fistfights before security personnel intervened and removed those involved.
Shoppers expressed disappointment over the apparent lack of adequate security and crowd management. One customer, Mohan Yadav, told ANI, “I have been standing in line since morning, but the situation is completely disorganized. People are breaking queues, and security is not taking responsibility.”
In New Delhi, long queues were reported at the Select Citywalk Mall in Saket, stretching across multiple floors. Some customers claimed to have arrived as early as 1:00 a.m., while others reported traveling from Punjab and other nearby regions to secure a device on launch day. A number of buyers also admitted to taking leave from work in order to attend the event.
Similar scenes were witnessed at Apple’s stores in Bengaluru and Pune, where thousands gathered from the early hours and waited for several hours. Despite the premium pricing of the devices, the large turnout reflected continued strong demand for Apple products in the Indian market.
Apple’s new iPhone 17 lineup includes the iPhone 17 priced at ₹82,900, the iPhone 17 Air at ₹1,19,900, the iPhone 17 Pro at ₹1,34,900, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max at ₹1,49,900. In addition to the smartphones, the company also launched the Apple Watch Series 10 and the third-generation AirPods Pro.
Earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the upcoming opening of new Apple Stores in Bengaluru and Pune, further expanding the company's retail presence in India.
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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.
