Adani’s Gujarat Giants unveil jersey, kick start preparation for season 2 of WPL
Bengaluru, 16th February, 2024(Press Release): Ahead of the monumental second season the WPL, which tees off in Bengaluru, the Adani Sportsline owned Gujarat Giants began their preparations, by unveiling their jersey for the tournament.
The Gujarat Giants’ Head Coach Michael Klinger and Mentor Mithali Raj were present at the ceremony as they presented the new jersey to the squad ahead of their training in the evening. The Giants, will be captained by Australian run-machine Beth Mooney, with Indian all-rounder Sneh Rana as the vice-captain.
In preparation for this season’s WPL, the team in orange kick started their training with great gusto in the Garden City of Bengaluru, and are putting in the hard yards as they approach their first game. The Gujarat Giants will open its campaign at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru against Mumbai Indians on 25 February.
While Michael Klinger is the Head Coach and Mithali Raj is the Mentor and Advisor, one of India’s most renowned spinners Nooshin Al Khadeer is the Bowling Coach for the team this season.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony, Head Coach Michael Klinger said, “This is a new season in the WPL and we are really excited about it. But we must work very hard to be able to put in a good show for our fans. We have a few plans for our players, and the roles for everyone are also well defined, and we hope the players are the best version of themselves every day. There is a lot to look forward to here, and the team is gung-ho about the upcoming season, and we are quietly confident about doing well once things kick off.”
“The WPL is a great platform for women’s cricket, and the Adani Sportsline team have been tremendous in terms of supporting the team with whatever is needed as we build up to our opening game. We have a well-balanced squad with a lot of youth and plenty of experience in the senior players, and together, we are always looking to put our best foot forward. This is an important season for the Gujarat Giants, and I want all our players to give it their very best, in every training session and in every game of course, and ask all the questions they need to, because that’s the best way to make sure the preparation is on-point,” said Mithali Raj, Mentor and Advisor, Gujarat Giants.
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SC dismisses pleas seeking review of 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage
New Delhi, Jan 9: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a batch of pleas seeking to review its October 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage.
A five-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, B V Nagarathna, P S Narasimha and Dipankar Datta took up about 13 petitions related to the matter in chambers and dismissed them.
"We do not find any error apparent on the face of the record. We further find that the view expressed in both the judgements is in accordance with law and as such, no interference is warranted. Accordingly, the review petitions are dismissed," the bench said.
It said the judges have carefully gone through the judgements delivered by Justice (since retired) S Ravindra Bhat speaking for himself and for Justice (since retired) Hima Kohli as well as the concurring opinion expressed by Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha, constituting the majority view.
The bench also rejected a prayer made in the review petitions for hearing in an open court.
According to practice, the review pleas are considered in chambers by the judges.
The new bench was constituted after Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the present CJI, recused from hearing the review petitions on July 10, 2024.
Notably, Justice P S Narasimha is the only member of the original Constitution bench comprising five judges which delivered the verdict, as former CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justices S K Kaul, Ravindra Bhat and Hima Kohli have retired.
A five-judge Constitution bench led by then CJI Chandrachud on October 17, 2024, refused to accord legal backing to same-sex marriages and held there was "no unqualified right" to marriage with the exception of those recognised by law.
The apex court, however, made a strong pitch for the rights of LGBTQIA++ persons so that they didn't face discrimination in accessing goods and services available to others, safe houses known as "garima greh" in all districts for shelter to members of the community facing harassment and violence, and dedicated hotlines in case of trouble.
In its judgement, the bench held transpersons in heterosexual relationships had the freedom and entitlement to marry under the existing statutory provisions.
It said an entitlement to legal recognition of the right to union, akin to marriage or civil union, or conferring legal status to the relationship could be only done through an "enacted law".
The five-judge Constitution bench delivered four separate verdicts on a batch of 21 petitions seeking legal sanction for same-sex marriages.
All five judges were unanimous in refusing the legal recognition to same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act and observed it was within Parliament's ambit to change the law for validating such a union.
While former CJI Chandrachud wrote a separate 247-page verdict, Justice Kaul penned a 17-page judgement where he broadly agreed with the former's views.
Justice Bhat, who authored an 89-page judgement for himself and Justice Kohli, disagreed with certain conclusions arrived at by the former CJI, including on applicability of adoption rules for such couples.
Justice Narasimha in his 13-page verdict was in complete agreement with the reasoning and conclusion of Justice Bhat.
The judges were unanimous in holding that queerness was a natural phenomenon and not an "urban or elite" notion.
In his judgement, the former CJI recorded Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's assurance of forming a committee chaired by the cabinet secretary to define and elucidate the scope of entitlements of such couples in a union.
The LGBTQIA++ rights activists, who won a major legal battle in 2018 in the Supreme Court, which decriminalised consensual gay sex, moved the apex court seeking validation of same-sex marriages and consequential reliefs such as rights to adoption, enrolment as parents in schools, opening of bank accounts and availing succession and insurance benefits.
Some of the petitioners sought the apex court to use its plenary power besides the "prestige and moral authority" to push the society to acknowledge such a union and ensure LGBTQIA++ persons led a "dignified" life like heterosexuals.
