Use of drugs not 'cool', resist peer pressure: Supreme Court to youngsters
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday urged youngsters to avoid illicit drugs, cautioning against the growing trend of viewing drug use as a fashionable or ‘cool’ lifestyle. The Court also emphasised the need for collective efforts to combat drug abuse and rehabilitate victims.
A Bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice N Kotiswar Singh made these observations while denying bail to a man accused of links to a crime syndicate responsible for smuggling 500 kilograms of heroin into India from Pakistan.
The Court expressed concern over the influence of popular culture in glorifying drug use, particularly among the youth.
"For youngsters just beginning to explore the world, the consumption of drugs in popular culture has propelled the cultural push towards a dangerous lifestyle, one that incorrigibly applauds drug use as ‘cool’ and a fashionable display of camaraderie. We implore the youth to firmly resist peer pressure and desist from emulating certain personalities who may indulge in drugs," the Bench observed.
Justice Nagarathna, who authored the judgment, stressed that drug abuse is often rooted in emotional distress, academic pressure, and societal influences. However, she stresses on the point that victims of substance abuse must not be demonised but rehabilitated.
"The unfortunate reality is that victims of substance abuse are not limited to the unfortunate ones who have fallen prey to it but also include their family and peers. Our approach must focus on rehabilitation, not demonisation," the Court noted.
Highlighting the role of parents, Justice Nagarathna said that affectionate and regular communication with children can act as a deterrent to substance abuse. Schools and colleges were also urged to include drug prevention strategies in their curricula.
"Educational institutions must focus on the physical, emotional, and legal consequences of drug abuse through scientifically backed and experiential learning methods," the Court stated.
The Bench further called on local communities, NGOs, and law enforcement agencies to collaborate in awareness campaigns, particularly in vulnerable areas. It also urged the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and State Legal Authorities to actively devise and implement such programmes.
In closing, Justice Nagarathna highlighted the need for a concerted effort from parents, schools, law enforcement, and society to tackle the growing menace of drug abuse.
"The arc and web of drug trade cannot be permitted to corrode the shine of the youth of India," the judgment concluded.
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SC to hear pleas challenging Waqf law provisions on May 20 for passing interim orders
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday said it will take up on May 20 the issue of considering interim relief on pleas challenging validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for those challenging the validity of the law, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, to file their written notes by Monday.
“We will be considering the issue of interim relief only on Tuesday,” the CJI said while adjourning the hearing on the pleas.
The bench was told by the lawyers from both sides that the judges may need some more time to go through the pleadings.
In the meanwhile, the law officer said that in any case, there is a subsisting assurance of the Centre that no waqf properties, including those established by waqf by user, would be denotified.
Earlier, the law officer had also assured that no appointments to the Central Waqf Council or State Waqf Boards would be made under the new law.
The bench said it will not consider any plea seeking a stay of provisions of earlier 1995 Waqf law when the matters are taken up on May 20.
Former CJI Sanjiv Khanna, whose bench was hearing the matter, demitted office on May 13, and the matters were transferred to the bench headed by Justice Gavai.
On April 25, the central ministry of minority affairs filed a preliminary 1,332-page affidavit defending the amended Waqf Act of 2025 and opposed any "blanket stay" by the court on a "law having presumption of constitutionality passed by Parliament".
The Centre urged the top court to dismiss the pleas challenging the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, pointing out a "mischievous false narrative" surrounding certain provisions.
The Centre notified the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 after it got President Droupadi Murmu's assent on April 5.
