Security failure in Pahalgam attack raises serious questions: K’taka Home Min. Dr. G. Parameshwara
Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara on Wednesday raised serious concerns over the security lapse that led to the deadly terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of at least 27 people.
Addressing the media in Bengaluru, he questioned how such a well-coordinated strike could occur despite the country's robust military and intelligence infrastructure.
Referring to the country's history of effective counter-intelligence, Parameshwara said, "This is not a common occurrence. Our military intelligence has proved its efficiency on many occasions. The question now is how did it fail this time? From where did these terrorists infiltrate, and how did they execute such an attack in a heavily guarded area?" He urged the central government to take the incident with utmost seriousness, emphasizing that immediate and decisive action is necessary to prevent further incidents.
Connecting with the 2019 Pulwama attack, he noted that such a massive casualty had not occurred in recent years, and this sudden lapse demands a transparent investigation.
"We lost more than 27 innocent lives, including civilians and a Navy officer. I offer my deepest condolences to the families and pray for their strength," he added.
In response to Union Minister V. Somanna's accusation that the Congress was politicizing the tragedy, Parameshwara denied the claim. "We are not making this about Congress or BJP. This is about the security of our nation and the safety of our people. I never mentioned the BJP, I only said the central government needs to act. Why should we politicize such a serious issue?" he asked.
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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.
