New Delhi, April 25: A five-feet-long snake was rescued on Wednesday from the Delhi Assembly complex here by an animal welfare NGO.

The snake, which was identified as a non-venomous Royal Snake, was found taking refuge in an air cooler installed in the library block on the premises, following which it was rescued by Wildlife SOS.

The team said several snakes had been rescued from the Vidhan Sabha complex in the past, though this was the second case of rescue of a Royal Snake.

"Several snakes have been rescued from the premises since it is located very close to Kamla Nehru Ridge, which is home to a variety of wildlife," said Wildlife SOS Special Projects Manager Wasim Akram.

Protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Royal snakes are excellent climbers and are found on trees, low bushes and hiding in crevices. 

Delhi is home to 13 species of snake, of which only two -- common krait and common cobra -- are venomous.

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Bengaluru: Karnataka’s district judiciary is facing a significant shortage of judicial officers, with approximately 27.5% of positions across the state's district courts remaining vacant.

According to data cited by The Times of India on Tuesday, out of a total of 21,541 positions, 5,926 remain unfilled, leading to concerns about the efficiency of the state's justice system.

Bengaluru city is particularly affected, with 835 vacancies out of 2,510 sanctioned posts. Bengaluru Rural courts follow closely with 532 vacant positions from a total of 1,003 sanctioned roles. Mandya district shows an alarming vacancy rate, with 376 vacancies against 844 sanctioned positions.

Several other major districts are also grappling with alarming staffing deficits, including Mysuru (299 vacancies) Belagavi (345), Tumakuru (279), Dakshina Kannada (312), and Hassan (207).

Apart from vacancies of judicial officers, 243 of the 1,395 sanctioned posts for district judge, ad-hoc district judge, senior civil judge and civil judge remain vacant, the report added.

Legal experts have stressed that addressing the judicial vacancy crisis should be a priority for the state government to ensure the effective functioning of the justice delivery system. These staffing shortages may contribute significantly to case backlogs and undermine public confidence in the judiciary.

Meanwhile, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs M.B. Patil, recently stated in the legislative assembly that efforts to fill the vacancies are underway. He cited a notification from February 2025, which will see 158 civil judge positions filled in the near future.