India court rules sole act of protesting cannot be weaponised against protestors
The Delhi High Court granted bail Friday to five individuals arrested by the Delhi Police last year for allegedly participating in an anti-CAA protest that led to riots in the national capital. In the bail order, the high court observed that “the sole act of protesting should not be employed as a weapon to justify [...]
Delhi court seeks police commissioner's intervention in 2020 Delhi riot cases
The Karkardooma District Court in East Delhi Sunday stated that the investigation standard for the northeast Delhi communal riots in February 2020 was “very poor.” The riots followed violent protests in the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA). Judge Vinod Yadav made this statement during a hearing for Ashraf Ali, who was accused of [...]
Right to Life Encompasses Non-refoulement: Indian High Court Advances Refugee Policy
In Nandita Haksar v. State of Manipur, decided May 3, 2021, the High Court of Manipur (an Indian state that borders Myanmar) granted seven Myanmarese citizens who had illegally entered India without documentation permission to approach the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office in Delhi. This decision came after the Government of India [...]
From 'Resignations' to 'Restrictions:' How Academic Freedom Worldwide is in Perpetual Jeopardy
The resignation of academic stalwart PB Mehta in March this year stirred an extremely crucial and relevant debate on the state of Academic Freedom in India. When an eminent professor and VC of a leading liberal arts university resigns by mentioning that his writings have become a political liability for the institution, it certainly is [...]
As technology continues to advance, will Indian regulators take user privacy more seriously? From internet activists to lawmakers, this is a question that is in the vanguard of regulating technologies. This space is also very dynamic; new technologies are so pervasive and capture the public imagination much before the regulator plays catch-up. Can the core [...]
After months of deliberation and stagnant discussion over adequate government funding measures, on December 27, 2020, Congress signed The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) into law. The new bill, whose title is as profound and as it is arbitrary sounding, covers 5593 pages and includes $900 billion of pandemic related relief. The House and [...]
EPA finalizing airplane emissions rules to bring US in line with international standards
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday announced that the agency is in the process of adopting its final greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards that will apply to certain new commercial airplanes manufactured in the US, including all new large passenger planes and commercial jets. The rule will apply to “new-type design airplanes” whenever [...]
Volkswagen agrees to compensate victims for human rights violations during Brazil dictatorship
Volkswagen do Brasil, a subsidiary of the German Volkswagen Group, signed a Conduct Adjustment Agreement (CAA) on Thursday, agreeing to pay out R$36M (reals), or about USD $6.5M, to victims of human rights violations during the Brazilian military rule. A report by the National Truth Commission (NTC) in 2014 revealed that Volkswagen cooperated with the [...]
Delhi police filed charges on Thursday against 15 protesters opposed to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) during the Hindu-Muslim riots. Police filed charges in a court in eastern New Delhi, and the filing is more than 17,000 pages long, said police spokesperson Anil Mittal. Violence erupted in New Delhi back in February as a response to [...]
“I tell you that I still consider myself to be an Indian. For the moment I have accepted the Governor-Generalship of Pakistan. But I am looking forward to a time when I would return to India and take my place as a citizen of my country.” – Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Dec 1947 Karachi) Indians have [...]
