Congress flag falls from post as Sonia Gandhi tries to unfurl it
New Delhi(PTI): The Congress tricolour fell off the flagpole on Tuesday morning as party president Sonia Gandhi tried to unfurl it to mark the party's 137th foundation day at the AICC headquarters here.
However, Gandhi along with party treasurer Pawan Bansal and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal quickly held the party tricolour in their hands and displayed it briefly.
She then unfurled the tricolour after a Congress worker had strung the flag from the pole.
Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, A K Antony, Mallikarjun Kharge were among those present at the party headquarters.
The Congress president was visibly upset at the faux pas and was seen enquiring a party worker conducting the proceedings whether the flag was firmly in place when she came to unfurl it for the second time.
A senior leader said the party leadership expressed displeasure at the turn of events and asked those in-charge of organising the function to be more careful in the future.
Incidentally, Congress managers had put up a higher steel flagpole instead of a shorter one usually seen at the party headquarters.
#WATCH | Congress flag falls off while being hoisted by party's interim president Sonia Gandhi on the party's 137th Foundation Day#Delhi pic.twitter.com/A03JkKS5aC
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2021
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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.
