CURRENT EVENTS JAN 2012 TO JAN 2013

The Supreme Court of India on 20 December 2011 ruled that courts can interfere i n the case of contractual job if the decision taken by the management is arbitra ry. The Union Cabinet of India on 18 December 2011 approved a draft National Food Se curity Bill that seeks to give legal entitlement of cheaper food-grains to 62.5 per cent of the country's population. A bench of the Supreme Court including Justices BS Chauhan and TS Thakur ruled t hat even animals entitled to accident compensation. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs agreed to fill 10% of the Group ral Paramilitary Forces from among Ex-Servicemen. B posts in Cent

The Lok Sabha on 13 December 2011 unanimously passed a Bill to further amend the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995. The Supreme Court of India directed Tamil Nadu to ensure that the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam does not exceed 136 feet but declined to entertain Kerala s plea for reducing the level to 120 feet. The Lok Sabha on 12 December 2011 passed the amendments to the Petroleum and Min erals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 1962. The Supreme Court directed state governments to build adequate number of night s helter to ensure that no homeless person has to sleep under sky this winter. The Lok Sabha on 12 December 2011 unanimously passed the National Capital Territ ory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Bill of 2011. The Government decided to set up a village water and sanitation committee in eac h Gram Panchayat, village and ward to ensure safe drinking water supply. The Parliamentary panel on law and justice, headed by Abhishek Singhvi stated th at the Constitution should be amended to set up a National Judicial Commission w ith powers to initiate criminal prosecution and sacking of corrupt judges. Supreme Court of India on 8 December 2011 directed all states to ensure vehicles carry tamper-free high security number plates within four weeks. Empowered Committee in its meeting on 5 December 2011 decided to send two techni cal members to inspect the Mullaperiyar dam. The Supreme Court of India on 1 December 2011 stated that section 497 of the Ind ian penal Code is biased against men. The United Naga Council (UNC) on 29 November 2011 decided to lift the economic b lockade from Manipur following assurance from Union home affairs minister P Chid ambaram. The Supreme Court ruled on 28 November 2011 that awards passed by the Lok Adalat either in criminal or civil matters are bound to be implemented through a court decree. The movie Dam 999 directed by Sohan Roy believed to be based on disputed Mullape riyar Dam between Tamilnadu & Kerala faced ban.

Indian government inked tripartite peace agreement with Assam's insurgent group, United People s Democratic Solidarity on 25 November 2011. The U.N. General Assembly's human rights committee on 22 November 2011 voted to strongly condemn Syria's crackdown on dissent. The Supreme Court of India ruled that the government cannot indefinitely delay i ts decision on the representations made by detenus. Supreme Court of India ruled that serious offences like attempt to murder cannot be settled through compromise deals and the accused must suffer conviction and imprisonment. The Supreme Court of India ruled that a Hindu Woman cannot be evicted from the m atrimonial home after divorce. The Union Cabinet approved the official amendment to the Prohibition of Unfair P ractices in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010.