Fathima Beevi, first woman judge in Supreme Court, dead

HIRAN UNNIKRISHNAN PATHANAMTHITTA

Almost everything in the remarkable career of Justice M. Fathima Beevi, who died here at the age of 96, was a first.

🖋In 1950, she was the first student to complete a degree in law with full marks in all subjects, and eight years later, she emerged first in a competitive exam conducted by the Public Service Commission and joined the judicial services as a munsiff. Years later, she became the first woman member of the country’s Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, before becoming the first Muslim woman to enter the higher judiciary as a judge in the Kerala High Court in 1983.

🖋Determined to recast the role of women in Indian judiciary, she then went on to become the first woman judge in the Supreme Court of India, six years later.

🖋Fathima Beevi was born to Annaveetil Meeran Sahib and Khadeeja Beevi of Pathanamthitta in 1927. She completed her schooling at the Catholicate High School and did an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University College, Thiruvanathapuram. In line with her father’s aspiration to make her a lawyer, she did a degree in law and enrolled as lawyer in November 1950.

🖋She was the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 1997 to 2001, and her most controversial decision was to administer the oath of office and secrecy to former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa within hours of the AIADMK securing a majority in the Assembly election in May 2001. Jayalalithaa had suffered disqualification from contesting elections that year on account of her conviction in two TANSI land deal cases.

🖋In September that year, the Supreme Court unseated Jayalalithaa. Fathima Beevi’s tenure ended abruptly in a couple of months after the swearing in of the AIADMK leader. Following the midnight arrest of then DMK president M. Karunanidhi in a corruption case, the Centre was displeased with the report submitted by her.

"Governor holds no veto power over Bills, says SC"

📍Bench says if a Governor withholds assent to a Bill, it must be returned to the State Legislature ‘as soon as possible’; if Assembly re-enacts it, as in the case of T.N., then the Governor must give nod
KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL NEW DELHI

📍The Supreme Court has laid down the law that a Governor, in case he withholds assent to a Bill, should send it back to the State legislature “as soon as possible” with a message to reconsider the proposed law.

📍If the Assembly reiterates the Bill “with or without amendments”, the Governor has no choice or discretion, and has to give his assent to it.

📍The November 10 judgment released on Thursday was based on a petition filed by the Punjab government against its Governor’s action to hold back crucial Bills. The verdict would be a significant boost to Tamil Nadu’s case.

📍The Tamil Nadu Assembly had returned 10 crucial Bills to Governor R.N. Ravi, who had withheld assent in the first instance. “The substantive part of Article 200 empowers the Governor to withhold assent to the Bill. In such an event, the Governor must mandatorily follow the course of action which is indicated in the first proviso of communicating to the State Legislature ‘as soon as possible’ a message warranting the reconsideration of the Bill...,” a three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, held.

Ultimate authority

“The ultimate decision on whether or not to accept the advice of the Governor as contained in the message belongs to the legislature alone. That the message of the Governor does not bind the legislature is evident from the use of the expression ‘if the Bill is passed again …with or without amendments’,” the Bench held.

🖋The court held that a Governor who chooses to withhold a Bill without doing anything further would be acting in contravention of the Constitution. “The Governor as the unelected Head of State would be in a position to virtually veto the functioning of the legislative domain by a duly elected legislature by simply declaring that assent is withheld without any further recourse. Such a course of action would be contrary to fundamental principles of a constitutional democracy based on a Parliamentary pattern of governance,” the court held.

🖋The court held that the Bill should be sent back to the Legislature “as soon as possible” with the mandatory message. It said the expression “as soon as possible” conveyed a “constitutional imperative of expedition”.

“Failure to take a call and keeping a Bill duly passed for indeterminate periods is a course of action inconsistent with that expression. Constitutional language is not surplusage,” Chief Justice Chandrachud wrote in the 27-page judgment.

#WATCH | #IndianAirForce's Suryakiran Aerobatic Team performs various manoeuvres in different formations at the air show in #Ambala

The Yogi Adityanath-led #UttarPradesh government has declared November 25 as "no non-veg day" on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sadhu TL Vaswani.

Details here: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-declares-no-non-veg-day-on-november-25-heres-why-101700842313545.html

✍️ Extremely Important for Prelims 2024. Read it very carefully
✍️ Source: Indian Express

Odisha revokes nod for transfer of tribal land to non-tribals

SATYASUNDAR BARIK BHUBANESWAR

🌟The Naveen Patnaik government on Friday announced that it has withdrawn the decision to amend the Orissa Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (By Scheduled Tribes) Regulation, 1956, which would have allowed transfer of tribal land to non-tribals.

🌟The government had put the decision on hold on November 14 after facing flak from tribal groups and the Opposition.

🌟The regulation not only prohibits the transfer of tribal land but also criminalises any forced alienation in Scheduled Areas. A Cabinet meeting held in the middle of the winter session of the State Assembly approved the proposal of withdrawing the decision to amend the regulation.

🌟In a statement in the Assembly on Friday, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi said the Cabinet had on November 14 taken a decision to amend the regulation based on the recommendation of the Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) held on July 11.

In 2021, I prepared for various Group B and Group A exams, excluding UPSC CSE. I faced almost failure in every exam, including IB ACIO, BPSC, UPPSC, RO ARO, RBI, NABARD, ICAR AO, SEBI, CAPF, and RAS. Despite not clearing any exams, I gained a significant amount of knowledge. Throughout the year, I dedicated myself to rigorous preparation but encountered failure each time.

Subsequently, I reconsidered my approach, thinking that perhaps these exams were not suitable for me. I decided to stop preparing for Group B and returned to focus on UPSC CSE last year. Unfortunately, I faced failure again in the CSAT. This experience led me to contemplate getting a job first. However, a new fear emerged, a fear that these exams might not be meant for me, and I would face failure as I did in 2021.

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Helpful guide on emotions and what they mean depending on where you feel them in your body.

Don't be sad guys.

Oneday everything will be alright.

Happy Constitution Day

⚡️November 26: Constitution Day

Understand your rights and duties listed in the Indian Constitution. Learn more about Samvidhan Divas, gaining knowledge that shapes our democracy!✅

Courtesy - Theprint

"Ambedkar’s speech, outlining three warnings for an independent India, holds importance even today."

Read Dr BR Ambedkar's last speech to the Constituent Assembly, which formally adopted India’s Constitution the following day.