SC to hear plea of Maharashtra Muslim cop suspended for keeping beard in violation of rules
New Delhi, Aug 12: The Supreme Court agreed to consider hearing a plea raising an issue whether suspension of a Muslim person from a police force for keeping a beard violates the fundamental right to practice religion under the Constitution.
Article 25 of the Constitution pertains to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra agreed to examine the issue.
The plea was of a Muslim constable of Maharashtra State Reserve Police Force (SRPF). He was suspended for keeping a beard, violating the Bombay Police Manual of 1951.
"This is an important issue of the Constitution... We will list the matter for hearing on a non-miscellaneous day," the CJI said, after being told that the case was before the Lok Adalat and remained unresolved.
Zahiroddin S Bedade had approached the top court in 2015.
Earlier, the bench had offered to revoke his suspension if he agreed to shave his beard. The petitioner, however, had then refused to accept the condition.
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Bill to set up single higher education regulator likely to be tabled in Parliament next week
New Delhi (PTI): A Bill which seeks to set up a single regulator for institutions of higher education is required to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing, officials said.
The Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament next week after it got the Union Cabinet's nod on Friday.
The proposed legislation, which was earlier christened the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, has now been named Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill.
A single higher education regulator, which was proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP), looks to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
"The Bill proposes to set up a Higher Education Commission of India to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing institutions and to promote excellence through a robust and transparent system of accreditation and autonomy. It is likely to be introduced (in Parliament) in the coming week," an official said.
While the UGC presently oversees non-technical higher education in the country, the AICTE oversees technical education, while the NCTE is the regulatory body for teachers' education.
The Commission is proposed to be set up as a single higher education regulator, but medical and law colleges will not be brought under its ambit.
It is proposed to have three major roles -- regulation, accreditation and setting professional standards, officials said.
Funding, which is seen as the fourth vertical, is not proposed to be under the regulator so far. The autonomy for funding is proposed to be with the administrative ministry, they said.
