Disruptive technology poses challenges to lawyers: President
Belagavi (Karnataka), Sep 15 : With the time span between innovation and its application shrinking, President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday called upon lawyers to respond quickly as disruptive technology threw up challenges for the legal fraternity.
"As time span between innovation and application is shortening, it poses challenges for law in genetic engineering, bioethics and artificial intelligence. Lawyers have to respond quickly. I hope our legal minds will put their thoughts into it,a said Kovind here in Karnataka's northwest region, about 500 km from Bengaluru.
Inaugurating the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Karnataka Law Society (KLS) and Raja Lakhamgouda Law College, Kovind said in the age of technology and entrepreneurship, the fourth Industrial Revolution (4.0) was changing how people live and work and the aspirations of the younger generation.
"Our educational institutions have to become compatible with this quest for innovation and excellence. They have to become compatible with the 21st century," he asserted.
Terming the law humans wrote was the basis of civilisation for discipline and orderliness, the President said even lawyers and judges were seekers of truth.
"That is why so many lawyers were part of the national movement. Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar were both lawyers with a spirit of public service. The Constitution is a modern scripture of our national identity," Kovind recalled.
Hinting that India was in the midst of dramatic changes, the President said decisions being taken would influence not just in the near future, but the rest of the century.
"We have young and talented population and an economy, brimming with opportunities. In the previous quarter, the GDP grew at 8.2 per cent, which indicates the pace and our potential. We live in an age of technology and of entrepreneurship," he reiterated.
With the overhauling of the regulatory framework for higher education and upgrading it to meet the present needs, the President said graded autonomy was granted to 60 top universities across the country.
"In addition, 20 institutions of higher education have been promoted as institutes of eminence, which enable them to recruit faculty and revamp the curricula for achieving global standards," added Kovind.
Besides Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Supreme Court Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, an alumni of the college, participated in the function.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
